The Twilight Princess: The Tide of Fate
by Madnesz23
Summary: This will be a twist on the classic Twilight Princess story and, as I would be saying in the first part, I don't own Zelda, this is just a fan fiction of my own design.
1. Chapter I - 1

Yes, yes. I know that I have been lagging in making my story chapters and I have a few too many going on, I should perhaps focus on them and finish them BEFORE I do anything else, but you know.

That noise is often the weird for me and I just had this random thought about Twilight Princess AFTER reading the four manga books (They were interesting, like the OoT Manga, you know), so I want to try it out for the fun of it right now.

As a side note, (if it is a wise thing to add since I don't know too much more) The Legend of Zelda series is not mine, I don't own the rights to it, I can only play the games and read the books for the fun of it, in no way, size or form, do I have the authority to control or trifle with the series in any way. With that, I hope you read this and enjoy it, leave a comment or two if you would be interested to do so. (Please, I need the feedback, I don't like the isolation.)

* * *

As the sun of day starts to fade into the depths of the world, but also let the world it inhibits bask in a radiant amber of night and day, an older man spoke. "Tell me... Do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls?" He continued to his young companion as they sat before a spring that was said to be the resting place of a spirit, gifted from the ones high in the world, the goddesses that protect their world. "They say it's the only time when our world intersects with theirs... The only time we can feel the lingering regrets of spirits who have left our world." The man hummed before glancing up, if to find the spirit that protected them in the woods around them. "That is why loneliness always pervades the hour of twilight..." He regraded it for a later time as he spoke. "But enough talk of sadness... I have a favor to ask of you, Link." The young man looked up as he spoke with a slight line.

"What is it?" The youth's smooth tones compared to the warrior's gruff, but earnest voice as the man continued.

"I was supposed to deliver something to the royal family of Hyrule the day after tomorrow..." He huffed a bit as he continued, looking forward again. "Yes, it was a task set to me by the mayor, but... would you go in my stead?" Link hummed as he spoke in return.

"That sounds... like a daunting task, Rusl." But the man was not turned as he asked.

"You have... never been to Hyrule, right?" It was an open question and Link could answer it, but he didn't, on account of his past... bad memories that lingered to his soul that he suppressed to the end as he answered.

"No, I don't think I have ever been to Hyrule, Rusl." The man nodded as both looked ot the waters again.

"In the kingdom of Hyrule there is a great castle, and around it is Castle Town, a community far bigger than our little villages... And far bigger than Hyrule is the rest of the world the gods created." Link knew that as he hummed before Rusl finished. "You should look upon it all with your own eyes." They shared a glanced as Link spoke with a chuckle.

"Thanks for the offer, but I am just a farmhand, that errand is a bit much for me." Rusl didn't press it as he huffed with standing up, replying with a different answer.

"It is getting late... We should head back to the village. I will talk to the mayor about this matter." Link nodded as he stood up as well and they headed off, Epona, Link's horse, close by with bundles of tinder on her back as Rusl lead the way back to their home, Ordon Village, crossing the bridge that connected Ordon with the forested place of Faron and locked up the gate once they had, Rusl huffing as he spoke. "Doesn't get any easier, does it?"

"No, I don't think it does." Link commented as Rusl just laughed as they strolled past the spring of Ordon and stopped in front of Link's collective home in the trees as Rusl bid him farewell, joining his laden wife and son as they headed back to the village as Link scaled up and opened the way with a few words. "Hey, Amok, how has your time been spent in my house?" seating in one of the chairs in the housing was a similar youth, but he wore a set that spoke 'assistant' than 'farmhand' like Link's gave. He was also a year younger to the ranch hand, but he seemed to have a affinity of what the village call 'magic arts' when Link knew better as Amok was a talented hand like him, having suffered from the same past as the youth looked up, his eyes always the mystery as one was a royal blue, but the other was that of a desert topaz as he spoke.

"Reading your collection of tomes and magic books, nothing new in this relaxing life, Link." The youth answered as he put the book on hand on the pile by his side, Link sweat dropping to see that some of the books were the same ones and Amok read them over again. "So what happened, I heard you unload tinder and all that stuff, but what else did Rusl want?"

"Well, he..." Link took the opposite and ran a hand over his face, the smile slipping to a grimace. "He... wanted me to deliver a package or something to Hyrule Castle."

"Oh...!" Amok answered as he nodded. "That sounded like a good offer, but did you turn him down?"

"I... need time to think it over." Amok nodded as he leaned back as Link continued, neither hearing the trot of Epona going back up the trail that Link took. "Other than that, I..."

"Hey! Link! You there!?" Link and Amok shared a look before the ranch hand headed up and looked out his open window to Fado as he rested his hands on his hips as the ranch owner spoke. "Hey, you mind helpin' me herd the goats? They ain't listenin' to me lately!" Link nodded as he got out of the window and headed down with Amok following as a comment was heard from Fado. "Hey, where's a Epona?" Both looked at the other as they sped up and headed out the door, spotting the same as Link groaned.

"Of all the... Why did...!?"

"Well..." Amok answered as he rubbed his jaw. "There is one person I know of that could be behind Epona's disappearance." Link groaned lightly as he nodded as well and the pair headed out to the spring to where they found their horse 'napper' or rather their horse caretaker, having bathed Epona as she took notice of the pair.

"Oh, hi, Link, Amok." Both nodded to her as well as they walked into the spring too as the girl spoke, her name Ilia and she was the mayor's daughter. "I washed Epona for you!"

"Wow, thanks, Ilia!" Link spoke as he smiled with Amok shaking his head with a 'feelings' comment before Ilia had Link play the horse reed for Epona, bringing her over to them before Link mounted up and they headed back, chatting with the villagers that were still out and about the twilight before they headed up to the ranch, Fado also helping somewhat as the goats were herded in, Amok not really a fan of the goats, but he didn't say no as he watched for any stragglers and completing the task they had obtained.

They headed back home and secured Epona for rest as they retired for the night, Link falling into slumber rather quickly as Amok, for his own need or natural force, read over the books again before he drifted off into slumber...

* * *

Link tossed in his slumber, he was faced with something unnatural, a recurring nightmare that he hadn't had for the past two years, the day he lost everyone and everything to that...'thing', to call it a monster was an understatement, it was demon that dragged all into the abyss below, leaving him as the sole survivor or so he thought when he found Amok, a broken youth who rambled in fear and often puffed out electricity or flames in panic, magic was a possible cause for them, but both put that past behind them, but he still sprung up and calmed himself as he took in his surroundings. "Just... just a dream, nothing more than that..." Still, the meaning could be anything. He hummed as he looked forward, a quiet snore of Amok ringing out before Link opened the window that he closed for the night to let the sun shine in, taking a moment to adjust to the lighting before he spotted a trio of kids down below. The infamous troublemakers or one with a pair of sane youths behind him as the leader, a boy named Talo, called up.

"Hey, wake up, Link! It's morning already!" Amok sprung up in shock and toppled as Link shook his head to his companion before he called down.

"I'll be down soon, give me a sec!" Link answered as he headed down and roused Amok form his toppled state. "Come on, you have some errands to do yourself."

"Yeah, yeah..." The youth rubbed his face as he got up and Link headed out as Talo went off in talking about Sera's shop now holding a slingshot and how he wants to see it in action as his brother, Malo, supported the plan with a more careful head while Beth, Sera's daughter, scolded them about it, but fanned over Link, an embarrassment that he didn't want praise or something like that as he headed into town to check it out.

As it turned out, he needed to do a number of things to give the villagers a better time like obtaining a cradle from a thieving monkey when Uli lost it drifting down the river somehow, the bee honey over the shop was knocked down and scared off the cowardly husband of Hanch somehow, using the fishing rod that Colin had made for him to catch a fish for the cat of Sera's, and heading on back to find that Rusl had returned Link's wooden sword to him while the trio bothered Amok a bit, especially when he somehow stopped one of the escaped goats with a sharp glance somehow, causing it to topple and sulk back to the ranch, the animals were much more skittish for some reason as Link returned with the sword as Beth spotted it first swooned over it. "Ooh, my! Isn't that a wooden sword, Link?" Talo took notice of it as well as he he exclaimed, Amok sighing in relief at the now-lack of attention.

"Whoa... She's right! Hey can I see it for a sec?"

Link gave a confused look as he asked. "Why do you want to see it, you guys?"

"Seriously! Lately these monkeys have been coming out of the woods and playing tricks on us! We want to get them GOOD! C'mon, teach us how to use a sword!" Link shared a look with Amok and the youth spoke as he crossed his arms.

"They will be swarming form duck to dawn for this, let's just give them a showing."

"Alright..." Link huffed as he pointed at his companion. "...But so we're clear, this is to prevent pranks, not to actually fight something... else, like a deer or bear."

"I got it, Link..." Within record time, Amok got the training grounds set up as Link displayed his skills of marksmanship, giving a huff of relief that he didn't neglect it in some way before pulling the wooden weapon free and trained in a few techniques, nothing overly special, but needed for a proper swordsman as he sliced from both the sides and over his head, thrusting and delivering a spin attack for a cluster clear before he split the wooden helm of the scarecrow as the kids just gasped to the power and skill that Link showed off, Talo going off in praise.

"Thanks, Link!" Talo spoke as he got some space and swung about as he spoke. "So, uh, I... I think I get it... Kinda..." He continued, but his form was rather poor as he spoke with a topple over with a spin attack that went too long. "Hmm... Maybe not..." He shook his head and got back up as he spoke. "So this means that anytime one of those naughty monkeys shows up..." All of them turned when Talo gasped to a monkey, but it was female from the look of the flower on its head before it headed off back into the woods before Talo shouted in pursuit. "C'MERE, YOU!" He dashed off with Beth and Malo in following as Amok shouted.

"Hey, you three! Don't go chasing, the woods are off-limits!" But they clearly didn't hear him as they disappear into the woods and he grimaced as he spoke. "Link, we need to stop them from getting too deep!"

"Right!" Link shouted as the two dashed over to Colin who was tending to Epona. "Colin, we are going to need Epona!"

"R-Right!" Link mounted up and Amok leaped on too before Epona took off, the pair passing Beth and Malo who couldn't keep up with Talo's feverish pursuit. They charged into the Faron Woods and pressed on, no sign of Talo yet before Link pulled hard, Amok looking to what Link stopped for to see the stick of Talo's, discarded on the ground toward an old passage into the deeper parts of the woods and a old relic of a temple, crafted in a tree as Link spoke.

"Talo has been taken... by something else."

"Yes, and it can't be the monkeys, what could it be?" Link didn't know as they jumped off Epona and headed for the temple, passing through the deeper forest with the aid of a lantern from a puffy-haired man and through the misted way where things roamed, neither getting a good look at them before they made it to the temple, the sound of shouting leading them to the entrance as they charged in, finding... strange sorts of creatures that Link nor Amok had actually seen, but they could stop the pair of them as one gunned for Link who fought it while the other went for Amok who sidestepped and dodged before he thrust his hand as it glowed a bright green and slammed it into the creature, the green spreading like a rash before the creature gurgled in death and toppled as Link killed his creature and panted in worry as he spoke.

"What were these things!?"

"I don't fully know, but..." Amok walked over to Link's kill and kicked it over with a hum before he answered. "Strange, a Bokoblin?"

"A what?"

"A tribal sort of monster, said to have died out in recent years..." Amok huffed as he crouched down while Link cleaved the bars and freed Talo and the monkey who took off. "Strange how we have found them here, the woods are dangerous by wolves and the like, but actual monsters like these?" He spared a glance to his friend. "I don't think we need a warning, this is something dangerous, a lot more than just a idle threat." He looked back and stood up as he spoke. "Let's go home, there's nothing else that we can do here." Link nodded as they headed home, twilight coming again as they reached familiar grounds and Talo started to apologize for his mistake.

"If you guys hadn't come, Link... Gee, me and that monkey would've gotten eaten, probably!" He breathed as he continued. "She's actually a pretty nice gal, that monkey... She tried to protect me, so we got captured together." So the monkeys would be more interested in protecting than harming, their pranks must have just been a way to ease the soul or something. "Um, Link... Amok..." Both looked to him as he asked.

"Yes?"

"What's up, Talo?"

"You're not gonna mention this to my dad, are you?" Talo explained it as they just listened. "He's always telling me to never, EVER go into the forest, 'cause he says its dangerous..." That makes sense, but they don't think that the forest would be so dangerous like that as he continued. "So you really can't tell him! Really! You have to promise!" Talo took off without either of them saying a thing, but they didn't need to as someone else came to them.

"Link! Amok!" They looked to the other part, the way that lead out of Faron and elsewhere to find Rusl strolling over as he spoke before them. "My son told me Talo disappeared into the woods and had not returned. I came as soon as I heard..." He breathed easy as he replied. "But it looks like you both have brought him home already..." They nodded as Rusl continued with a rub of the jaw. "I apologize. Such a task should not fall on you."

"I don't think either of us minded, it was partly our fault that he took off. Sorry, Rusl." Amok spoke as the man just nodded and directed the chat elsewhere.

"Tell me, have you noticed how strange this wood seems lately? I feel... uneasy about what may lie in wait..."

"Actually, Rusl... Yeah." Link spoke as he continued. "Something is off about the wood, we didn't face any wolves as we have actually thought, but... other things seem to have settled in, monsters from the looks of them." Rusl nodded to the explanation as something to look into later as he spoke.

"Anyway, Link..." Rusl smiled as he clapped Link's shoulder. "Tomorrow is finally the day. You will be departing for Hyrule." Amok spared a glance to his friend about this 'task' that Link now has. "I think it is a good thing I have given this task to you... Good luck! And return safely!" He started to laugh as he finished up. "If you are lucky, you may even get to meet Princess Zelda!" They shook their heads as they headed home, Amok filling that in his own words.

"Well, looks like you have an errand to do outside the village, what luck, right?"

"Yeah... what luck..." But Amok was not fooled, even Link wasn't fooling himself, he didn't want to leave the peaceful place he called home for the longest time now. Amok didn't choose to force Link to spill his doubts or fears, he, after all, needed peace and seemed to be haunted by the notion that something was after him now... something unspeakable and dreaded like the grave...

* * *

Just for everyone's information, I didn't want to call the second guy anything normal like 'Alex' or 'Alexander', that wouldn't have fit in too well, so I went looking for a name in a name generator and went with 'Amok', still an A, but a good name.

Second, yes, he will be using magic and the sword trials for Link will work for him as well through the blessing of the seven sages, going with the logic of OoT's future sages, passed down through blood, rite, or oath, that is all you will need to know for now.

Remember, leave some love and tell me about it.


	2. Chapter II - 2

Link pondered his own standing in the new position he was given, the task to deliver a gift to the royal family was a hefty toll on his mind, his morning was less than pleasant as a feeling of dread filled his heart and he took to relaxing at the ranch when the morning came. He didn't want to overtax his mind, but he knew that something would happen as Fado called out, Link nodding as he called Epona and they herded the goats in, it easing his mind as he also thought about his friend.

Amok was not too shocked about it as Link had explained it to him, he even encouraged Link to at least get out and about in the world, see what has changed and make a difference in his way, but Link was not ready for that as he just wanted to get in and out without the royal family... knowing who he was, it was a lingering fear of his that his past would chase him down and throw him in a dark place, someplace that none could return from as he returned and shook his head as Fado commented on the speed and left Link to head out, he jumping the fence with a grimace as he mused. "Sorry, Epona, I thought that gate was a bit further away, i'm sorry, my mind is elsewhere." Epona just whinnied as they pressed on as Ilia and her father, a man named Bo, with some interesting tusks to him greeted him. Ilia filled in the short chat with mention of something to give as Bo spoke up.

"Oh, done herdin' for the day, Link? Well, nice work."

"Thanks, Mayor Bo." Link answered as he dismounted and strolled over to Bo as the larger man spoke while Ilia tended to Epona a bit.

"The royal gift Rusl told you about is ready, so you should get ready for your trip to Hyrule Castle." Link nodded as Bo continued. "Now, the royal family requested this gift specifically, so it's real special. It'd be... bad... if the representative of Ordon were to be late for such an occasion, you get me, lad?"

"Right, Sir." Link answered as Ilia spoke to Epona.

"The path before you is long, my sweet horse... but please bear Link safely along it." She paused as she noticed something that also drew Link and Bo's attention. "Wait... What's this?" Both turned to Ilia examining the front leg before she exclaimed in rage. "What's happened? She's injured, isn't she?" Link winced as he pleaded his case.

"Yeah, that's my bad, my head was elsewhere for some reason, Ilia, and I slightly biffed the gate with Epona, I wanted to get her fixed up before I headed out." That didn't soothe the rage as Illa scolded him.

"Link! How could you! You were pushing Epona too hard again! I bet you hurt her leg jumping fences, didn't you!?"

"N-No, I just..."

"Now, now Ilia." Bo cut in for Link's rescue. "There's no need to get so hot with him..."

"FATHER!" She turned her ire to his father as she scolded him as well. "How can you be so easy on him? You're the MAYOR! You should start acting like one!" He slumped with Link as Illa turned back to Epona. "You poor thing..." Both shared a looked as they shortly whispered.

'Well, that was not too much of a problem...'

'Don't jinx us, sir...'

"It'll be all right, Epona." Both sprung back up as Ilia started to take Epona away. "I'll take you to the forest spring right now. Once we soothe you in the spirit's spring, you'll feel better in no time!" The two just watched as Ilia took the horse away before Bo quickly roused himself as called out with a stumble.

"W-Wait! Ilia!" But she was out of earshot as he continued. "Why, without Epona... The gift won't get delivered in time!" He hummed in grief as he continued. "Oh, this won't do..."

"I said as much, sir, I'll get Epona back soon, Ilia just looks out for the animals a lot more than I like to admit at times." Bo nodded as Link headed up the way to find Colin in the dumps as he spoke to Link's arrival.

"...Link, are you going to see Ilia?" He nodded as Colin continued. "Maybe it's just me... but those guys don't normally let people through..." Talo and Malo were guarding the way which was odd as Colin continued. "Um, Link, you think... You think we can go to see Ilia together?"

"Sure, let's just see what Talo is up to." Link answered as they headed over to Talo's exclaim.

"Hey, we've been waiting for you, y'know, Link." Malo looked joyed as Talo spoke. "Yesterday was soooo much fun! Yeah, chasing that monkey was great! I was just tell Malo here about how we wanted to show it to him, but we let it go instead!" Malo pulled off a remark that was along the lines of 'YOU didn't get caught, Talo?' before Talo took notice of Colin. "Oh! Colin!" He huffed as he remarked on Colin's honest behavior, a poor move with Talo as he didn't seem to realize that he could have been very much dead if Link and Amok hadn't came to save him. "Way to spoil everything by telling your dad. Nice job." Malo made another remark that their father scolded them but good before Talo spoke again. "I bet you're trying to go see Ilia, aren't you? Well, there's no way I'm gonna let you pass!" Suddenly, a thought entered Talo's head as he looked up to Link and pleaded. "Oh, hey, neat! Link! Lemme borrow that wooden sword!" Link raised a brow as Talo continued. "If I'd had that wooden sword yesterday, I could've handled it all alone, definitely! C'mon! Let me borrow that wooden sword right now!"

Link debated it, could Talo have managed it alright, it didn't seem like that, but if he didn't give up the practice weapon, then Talo wouldn't let either of them through and he really needs Epona. "Alright..." He lightly huffed as he drew the weapon and slipped it before handing it to Talo. "Just be careful with it, it is not a toy." Talo took it in hand and cheered.

"Whoa! YESSS!" Both brother shared a glance as Talo started. "With this thing..." He pumped his fists. "I'll show 'em!" They rushed over to the scarecrow to watch Talo practice before Colin spoke up.

"Link." He turned to Colin who continued in his words. "Thanks... Those guys are always teasing me..." He looked past to Talo swinging the wooden sword. "What's so fun about swinging something like that around, anyway? I hate it... it's scary..." Link reflected on the choice as well, what was his purpose to wield the wooden blade, it didn't fit with a farmhand, but he realized that it was something else to him, it felt like a part of him that he needed to train and experience, not let down in some way as Colin continued. "But when I grow up, I'm gonna be just like you, Link!" He versed his answer with a pause. "I don't want to learn about swords or anything, but could you teach me how to ride a horse sometime? Can you?! You have to promise!" Colin didn't let an answer come as he took off, Link sighing as he turned to the youths that now had his blade.

"Well, if nothing else, maybe they can get a bit better with it, what happened in the woods was nothing to joke about." He shook his head and took off after Colin, going to find Ilia as well, but she had locked the gate and also had the key, meaning that he couldn't get in... normally, but there was a small passage into the spring on the other side that he could use as Colin explained what happened yesterday to the stubborn girl. He grimaced as he slipped on in. "Why didn't we just expand this out or something, I am not going to fit through this hole anymore if this just get to be a daily thing with the stubborn ones..." He shook his head to disregard the problem as he crept through and dusted himself off as Ilia spoke, having listened about Talo.

"I had no idea... I hadn't heard the details about Talo's capture... But, Colin..." Link strolled over and stepped into the waters, which drew both Epona and Ilia's attention, the girl moving to move Epona elsewhere, but the horse just shook her off as she dawned a sorrowful look, like she couldn't change a bond like Epona and Link at all. "So you still prefer your master over me, huh, Epona?" She glanced over as she explained. "Don't worry about your horse, Link. Fortunately, it looks like the injury isn't too serious. You two can go on together."

"Still, thanks for treating her, I just wish I could have done it myself, to be honest."

"But, Link..." He hummed as Ilia continued. "Can you at least promise me this?" Link listened as she just continued. "No matter what happens on your journey, don't try to do anything... out of your league. Please." She smiled as she finished. "Just come home safely." Link hummed before he nodded.

"I will..." Any more was lost as a thumping sound started to come, the trio turning with Epona's unease before something bashed through the gate, some strange boar thing that knocked Link aside and he heard Ilia gasp in pain or something, but couldn't do much when he suffered a smash to his skull, lucky that he wasn't dead, but Ilia and Colin was in the grasps of whatever just attacked them...

* * *

Amok paused in his reading as he got a gut feeling of something as he closed the tome and headed out of the tree, spotting Talo with Link's wooden sword as he mused. "Strange, something is not..." Before he could say anymore, a low bellowing sound rang out and all jumped before Talo started to shout about it.

"Oh man, what was that, that sounded so..."

"Talo, Malo, Beth, get to the village now..." Amok brokered no argument as he leapt down from the entrance and bolted for the forest, his gut sensing a grave problem before he heard the fading thumps of large creatures and he slid to a halt at the spring as he shouted. "Link!" He rushed over and shook the guy, the spring healing him from a large lump on the head. "Hey, can you hear me!?"

"Ugh..." Link groaned as he got up and blinked a few times before he spoke in rubbing his skull. "What happened...?" He jumped, surprising Amok as he yelped. "Ilia! Colin! Epona!"

"Link! Slow down! You need to..."

"There is no time!" Link shouted as he rushed past toward the destroyed gate. "Something attacked us and... Ilia! Colin!"

"Link! Wait!" But Link charged off down the bridge to find them with Amok behind him, the day swiftly turning to night or so they believed before Link stopped and looked at something impossible as Amok caught up and gape at the same thing.

"What the...?" Blocking the way was a wall of darkness, etched with strange markings, the problem being that neither of them have ever seen such a strange thing before. The way blocked off to Faron Woods somehow as Amok reached out and grabbed Link's arm. "I don't think we've getting through here anytime soon, let's try asking the other villagers if..." Before anymore could be said, something lashed out from the wall and snatched Link, Amok the unwitting companion in the capture as both disappeared into the darkness, grabbed by some weird creature as Amok rolled a few feet from it as it held Link before tossing him, his vision blurring as something pulsed through him and he roared, his human form changing to a wolf before he dropped unconscious, his companion also changed, but his was that of the sky, taking on the guise of a large hawk, but the plumes were a sapphire blue with the plumage on his chest, both dragged away as a unknown face watches the thing do so, taking them to the one place they would not have been expecting to have been involved in their dim darkness...

* * *

I didn't know what Amok should have been, with the protection and all that jazz, so I looked up what type of birds would fit in...

I got jacksquat, only 'bird', 'hawk', or 'loftwing' and no one wants to read about a loftwing in Twilight Princess, we already have the big Roc monsters (Kargarok, I looked it up) and no one wants that to be the side partner of Link here, other than Midna...


	3. Chapter III - 3

Link groaned as he roused himself up and grumbled, his voice different somehow, like it was more bestial. "Ugh... what happened...?" He gasped as he looked at himself in shock. "What the... I'm a wolf!? What sorcery is at work here!" He looked up and paused at the bars that not only hold him, but tell him that he was trapped, in addition to the chain that keeps his front foot. "What have I gotten into...?" He growled as he lashed forward to escape, but the chain kept him as ht tried again before he heard a scratchy voice, a familiar voice though.

"Hey, knock it off, I am trying to focus my thoughts!" Link looked up to the other side to a hawk with blue plumage and feather tips glaring at him as it continued to speak in a human voice, like that bird shopkeeper. "Honestly, it's bad enough that I got dragged into this mess with my buddy, but your attempts to escape are not helping anyone right now, you are just bugging yourself and annoying others..." The hawk looked about and sighed. "...Though no one else is around here, ain't they?"

"A-Amok!?" The bird looked confused before he hummed and answered.

"Link...?" The bird puffed as Link nodded, he sighing to their new problems. "Great, I am a bird of prey and you are a wolf, what else is going on...?"

"Do you know what happened?" Link sat down as he asked and Amok answered to his knowledge.

"Not sure, I know that you were grabbed and I was along for the ride, but I must have hit my head and been knocked out because I don't remember what happened after we passed through... whatever was barring the path." The bird looked about, surprising that he was not freaking out like Link. "Still, this place... this must be a castle dungeon or something, but what or who is in charge here and why...?"

"I don't know..." Link growled as he got back up and bit into the chains holding him. "...But I am not sticking around here to know!" He growled and shook the chains to break them as Amok returned to his humming before the chain dropped and Link swiftly glanced to the back of the cell, ready for action as something else was there with him. The darkness faded away as a small imp thing stood down and Amok cast a glance as well as the imp stared off with Link before it grinned with a fang showing and leap or floated over Link while he watched and landed in front of the bars as it exclaimed, its voice feminine.

"I found you!" The imp was strange, it was not a monster in Amok's mind, its body was that of black and white, covering parts of a non-existing body with teal-blue markings on the arms and legs, one even going to the thigh, and the pointed ears while a stone-like helm was adorn on its head. Link didn't like the intruder as it mused, playful in its pokes. "Oooh! Aren't you scary!" It laughed as it continued. "Are you sure you want to be doing that? Snarling and glaring at me?" Amok was sure that Link was making a bad first impression, but he didn't wish to deny him in this unfamiliar place. "Well, that's too bad... I was planning on helping you... if you were nice." This perked both of their interests as Link eased up and stared at the imp as it continued while Amok just watched the exchange through both sets of bars as the thing chuckled again. "That's much better! You humans are obedient to a fault, aren't you?" The thing stepped over with a sway, clearly having a bit of a higher upbringing then much and knows how to show it. "Oops!" The creature tapped Link's jaw, bouncing it which rose the ire of Link again as the creature spoke. "But you AREN'T a human anymore, are you? You're a beast!" It chuckled again and Link was ready to snap as the bird Amok spoke.

"Easy, Link, we need it... err, her aid to get going and see what is needed, play nice for now." Link eased up as the creature leap back and spoke in assure motive.

"Your friend is quite the level-head, I wonder which one I should free first." Link differed as she seemed to conjure some form of magic before lashing it out, it snapping through the chain and freeing Link, but he was surprised to say the least as it leapt back over and grin to his shock. "You look kind of surprised!" She chuckled again as she bounced backwards toward the bars as she continued. "So! I bet you're wondering, where exactly are we?!" She seemed to be emitting some form of bubbled form as Link watched her slam into the bars, only to become a series of the strange bubbles before reforming solid on the other side as she taunted or motioned for Link to follow. "Well, I'll make you a deal. If you can get over here, maybe I'll tell you!" She laughed again before yawning and giving a smug look about her standing.

"I am really not gonna like this, am I?"

"It is possible, Link." Amok noted as the imp did the same thing and the lock on the cage was destroyed before Amok flapped out. "Just dig, some of the stones seems a bit upturned." Link noticed the spot, a small space to dig under with some of the barring wrecked up a bit, and walked over, actually walking like a wolf was a new experience for him as he dug out, shaking the dirt and dust off as the thing's laughter echoed before Amok squawked. "WATCH IT!" Without warning, the thing thumped on Link's back, he rushing about to toss her off, but she was locked on somehow as she remarked.

"I guess you're not completely stupid after all!" She patted his ear before flopping on him as she continued, Amok landing on the table to listen a bit more. "Listen, I like you both, so I think I'll get you out of here." She reached over and pulled the same ear as Link winced as she continued. "But in exchange for my help, you have to do EXACTLY as I say!" She released and Link huffed as the creature continued. "So are we all clear?" Grudgingly, Link nodded and Amok tapped on the wood as she spoke on. "Good. Now, come on! Get moving!" She slapped a foot into Link's side as he howled before he remarked to Amok.

"You own ME big time..."

"I'm a bird, Link, I am not that much use to someone who can float and phase through objects." He groomed himself before taking flight again. "Other than relaying details here and there, I am not that useful in this form." Surprisingly, the imp joined the chat as they headed further into the dungeon through a opened hatch, controlled through a chain.

"Oh, I don't know, you kind of remind me of this one wise owl that was said to have lived in the light." Both shared a look of shock as Amok spoke.

"...Were we that blunt about our voices?"

"I hear you just fine, you are just talking normally to me, though Mr. Grumpy Fangs is a little less vocal about it, people wouldn't understand your speech in these forms, like how animals just talk and understand one other and humans are none the wiser!" She hummed as she spoke. "Still, to hear a actual bird talking like a normal person, that's strange. By the way, I'm Midna, remember it!"

"Of course, Midna..." Amok replied as they headed down and through the winding sewer system they found themselves in, the maze filled with strange things that could be rats before this strange world they have found themselves in before they headed up the tower at the end and ascending up into the dim light that filled the tower as Midna spoke.

"So... You know where we are yet?" She chuckled as Link answered.

"No, I still don't understand... who were the souls down below and why were they soldiers?"

"Well... if you go to the top, you might figure it out!"

"Of course someone was going to say that..." Link grumbled as Amok shook his head and they exited the dark domain to see the walls and towers of a castle as Midna commented.

"So, we were finally able to get out." Amok landed on Link as the trio looked up to the sky that was a mix of day and night, no telling which was which. "And look at the sky! Isn't the black cloud of twilight looking beautiful today?" Twilight... was that what now enveloped the sky as Midna sighed in disbelief. "Do you know where this is?" Link and Amok shook their heads which resulted in the sigh. "You STILL don't know?" She chuckled as Link exclaimed.

"It won't make sense to us otherwise, Midna! Get off our backs!"

"Figure of speech, don't take it seriously, Midna." Amok pointed out as Midna spoke in return as she glanced to a similar tower.

"Look, there's someone I want to introduce you to... but I'll need you to go to that tower to do it!" Both looked to the same tower as they agreed.

"Better than nothing, I guess."

"Somewhat..." They headed out as the winds were hostile high up there as large bird things attacked them, Amok's claws doing just as well as Link's fangs as they continued on to the tower and entered, blessed to be away from the blasted storm, but it only went up and the door was ajar a bit as they entered to a clocked person to which Link reacted just the same as he growled, Midna chuckling at his reaction before the figure turned and Amok calmed Link down. "Easy, Fangs, let's hear it out." Link did so as he trotted over, Midna rolling her eyes as the figure spoke, a woman from the sound of it.

"...Midna?!" Midna chuckled as she spoke.

"You remembered my name? What an honor for me..." Link shook his head as he glanced back to the person as she asked the being about them.

"So, these is the ones for whom you were searching..." Midna sighed as she shrugged it off.

"They're not exactly what I had in mind, but...I guess they'll do." The figure bent down and took notice of the chain and manacle on Link's leg as she spoke.

"...You were imprisoned?" They bowed their head as they spoke, saying something that no foul fool or evil soul would do. "I am sorry." To show mercy or sorrow for another's pain or treatment was a sign that they had a heart for the world and the people that inhibited it.

"Poor things, they have no idea where this is or what's happened... So, don't you think you should explain to them what you've managed to do? You own them that much..." Midna cackled as she continued. "...Twilight Princess!" The figure looked down as Amok flapped over to the bed and spoke.

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to face it, there is no real shame in admitting weakness or pain to others." The figure was surprised, but still she spoke a tale for them to hear.

"Listen carefully..." Link took a seat as the figure spoke. "This was once the land where the power of the gods was said to slumber. This was once the kingdom of Hyrule." They stood up and looked out the window once more as they continued. "But that blessed kingdom has been transformed by the king that rules the twilight... It has been turned into a world of shadows, ruled by creatures who shun the light." The scene could be envisioned, solders at the ready, but overwhelmed by monstrous beasts with their ruler demanding one thing, to give up and let the light dim out or death for all, the light's ruler taking the choice of sparing all from the event of death as the figure continued. "Twilight covered Hyrule like a shroud, and without light, the people became as spirits. Within the twilight, they live on, unaware that they have passed into spirit forms... All the people know now is fear... Fear of a nameless evil..." The figure paused before continuing with a turn back to the wolf and its rider. "The kingdom succumbed to twilight, but I remain its princess..." The hood was reached for and Link straightened up further as Midna actually looked unbalanced on her choice mount as the face was that of human, pained with sorrow and duty for a kingdom that has fallen. "I am Zelda." Midna started off as she replied.

"You don't have to look so sad!" She shrugged with arms behind her head or helm as she spoke. "We actually find it to be quite livable! I mean, is perpetual twilight really all that bad?" But Zelda was not for games as she inquired.

"Midna..." Midna leapt off of Link as the trio watched her face away as the princess spoke. "This is no time for levity. The shadow beasts have been searching far and wide for you. Why is this?" She waited for an answer, but the imp was not willing to say as she chuckled, so Zelda focused on something else, their safety. "Time has grown short. The guard will soon make his rounds. You must leave here, quickly." Midna bounced back onto Link as Amok spoke.

"We are sorry to burden you with this tale, we will not let the guard catch us here." They headed off before Amok sniped Link's ear, grinding him to a halt as the way down lit up a bit. "No good, the guard's coming early!" He looked about with Midna and the only way was the open port. "This way!" Link followed Amok out as Midna took off down the roof. Link was amazed that a storm was actually happening in this dusk realm as Amok rested on the back of his friend before they headed over to Midna who was thinking before she remarked with a laugh.

"Well? Do you understand where we are now?"

"Mostly, Midna, I get the jest that we are in Hyrule Castle." Amok pointed out as Link just growled as the imp nodded and spoke.

"I guess a promise is a promise, so I'll let you go back to where you first tumbled into twilight..." She hummed with a plan on hand. "But... are you both really sure you should be going back? Are you sure you aren't forgetting anything important?" The cocky grin irked Link as Midna tapped on her cheek, but Amok was more exact as he spoke.

"Even if we go hunting for them, Zelda said that everyone would be spirits, we wouldn't have any way to look for them in the first place, Midna." The hawk pointed out as Midna huffed as he continued, clearly playing translator for Link while easing Link's mind. "Besides, you wouldn't have freed us just like that without a actual reason, so we are stuck together as it stands, don't think that we are just going free, we need to learn more and the only way is through you, whether you like it or not, Midna." The imp sighed as she commented.

"Well, you both have to be my servants... and like servants, you'd have to do exactly as I say!" Link tried to butt in as Amok flapped a bit to the outrage.

"Why don't we...?!"

"Why don't you go back, take a little time, and give it some thought." She chuckled as Link made for another outburst, only for him and Amok to turning into black fragments and zoom into the sky as Midna followed quickly, none knowing that they were there to start with...

* * *

They reappeared at the spirit spring of Ordon before Midna's voice echoed somewhat. "Oh, that's right. I forgot to mention one thing..." Link glanced back, expecting Midna, but she was gone as her voice seemed to echo. "Though you may have left the darkened realm, you haven't transformed back to your former self... and you won't anytime soon! Now why could that be?" She chuckled before bidding them farewell as Link grumbled again while Amok spattered in the swallow waters.

"I am really going to kill that imp."

"Don't, save your strength for actual foes..." Amok shook off the water and flapped up to perch on Link's back as the wolf looked at him. "Regardless of her agendas, we need her help, just as much as she needs us to do her work, we need leads, not headstrong objectives, it is clear that the royal family gift was not going to be what could end those things, the shadow beasts if Hyrule's finest couldn't do it, but I think we need to get those, they are not the best, but if we return as humans somehow, we are going to need them, Midna is not going to be much of a swords-woman in my books or plumes." Link chuckled as they moved out.

"I guess so, let's check out the village, see what we can do..." Amok nodded as they nearly left, but Midna reappeared, but different as she spoke in a shadowy form.

"So, um, what next?" The fact that she was hesitent on the plan said a lot as Link spoke in his canine voice.

"Midna!? Where were you hiding!?" Midna laughed as she spoke.

"Did you think I'd disappeared?"

"Likely not, but you certainly made this weird, Midna." Amok pointed out as Midna answered an unanswered question.

"Listen, there's another thing I forgot to tell you... Don't think you can just run off and save your friends, because you can't." They looked in the direction that Midna looked to see the wall of darkness looming there. "Just beyond that bridge, the land is covered in twilight. Last time, a shadow beast pulled you through the curtain of twilight..."

So the catch...?" Link asked as he turned back to the shadowy figure as the imp chuckled.

"But if you want to go that way this time, you'll need the cooperation of someone FROM the twilight...like me!" She shrugged as she continued. "So you really have no choice, but to do what I say."

"As if we could actually forget..." Link answered, downtrodden about the arrangement.

"Saving your friends and all that... Well, that'll depend on your actions... Because you never can trust words, you know. Right now, I want a sword and shield that'll suit me."

"If you want something high-quality and metal, this is the wrong place, Midna, but we are certain there is some weapons that we could 'borrow' from the villagers here." Midna didn't reply to that sentence of Amok as she lectured, the day fading out to night which was good for them.

"So, what do you plan to do? While you're here dawdling, the twilight continues to expand. Come on! Hurry it up!" She slipped back into the shadows as Link smirked.

"You're right, she is not much of a swords-woman, is she?" Both chuckled as they headed out, pausing for a moment to deal with a few strange monsters, different from the Bokoblins they faced and it was a bit tougher as animals, but they pulled it off before a high-pitched voice called out to them. It was one of the local squirrels and it thanked them for dealing with the monsters and told them that the monsters wrecked both the forest and village badly, kidnapping the children as well, before leaving a hint that if they were ever stuck, they could chat with the animals for guidance.

They headed into the village where Hanch was moping over his own failures as Amok spotted something. "Hey, it's Mayor Bo and Jaggle, what are they doing out and about this hour of night?" Link looked about and narrowed his eyes to see the distant figures of the two as he commented.

"Whoa, your eyesight is much better than mine like this, I could barely tell whose over there."

"Well, I guess that makes me a bit more reliable, just stay out of the torchlight and on the down low, we don't want anyone to freak out more than they should." Link nodded as they headed across the bridge as Jaggle started.

"Oh! About that shield..."

"Hey! Not so loud..."

"I checked, as we discussed." Now was the time to sneak over quietly and overhear their conversation as Amok kept his beak shut as Link listened before they continued, their words perfectly clear for them.

"...So, that shield is still in your house, right?" Jaggle nodded as he explained where the shield was.

"Uh, yeah, it should be in our storage loft." Bo nodded as he gripped the man's shoulder.

"Good! Go grab it, quick as you can! Rusl got wounded pretty bad, so he can't go search for the kids. I'll take over for him."

"But Rusl had a sword, Mayor! And he STILL got hurt! If you're unarmed, you're done for!" But the mayor was not swayed as he answered.

"I'll be fine. The sword we were goin' to present to the royal family should still be at Rusl's house." The thought was not too surprising as Link kept quiet while Amok took to the roof for some reason.

"Oh yeah? All right, I understand, Mayor. I'll hurry up and get that shield. You just wait here..."

"May I get a second opinion?" Link looked up with the duo as Amok just smirked as he spoke. "Like what type of monsters attacked the village?" But he scared them silly as Bo yelped.

"No good! Run!" They booked it as Midna grinned to the information they overhear.

"That's not a bad bit of information you heard, huh?" Both nodded as they looked up and huffed to the opened way. "Ugh... Look at that open window. This village is full of idiots." Midna hummed as she tried to figure it out to get them to the top. "So..." Finally, she found the way through the scaling of the water wheel. "We should jump up there...but from where?" Amok lined his gaze and Link smirked at the thought.

"Scare Hanch?"

"Scare Hanch." Amok answered as he took flight again. "You two get moving, I will douse his fire stand and scare him off the outcropping." Link nodded as Amok charged off, Link headed out as well, just as Amok struck the post, surprising the man and slashing at his hand or rather the reeds he nearly grabbed before Link got behind and growl, the man yelping before jumping into the water before they headed into the house, spotting the shield and taking it, Midna commenting on its crude design, but it would work out as they headed back out, Link jumping into the water as Amok spoke up with another sighting.

"Heads up, Rusl is out and about, he must be searching for the kids one last time." Amok hummed as Link got out of the water. "He looks pretty bad, I suggest that we take a different route than knocking him down or scaring Uli."

"You're our eyes in the sky, didn't you spot anything...?"

"...Our score seems to waive at times, Link." Amok looked over the house where the sword would be and flew back down as he answered. "On the side of the house, there is a loose amount of dirt, you can get in through there, I will keep a lookout for Rusl or Uli." Link nodded as he skirted the edge and toward the side of the house as Amok landed on the roofing and waited, Uli unaware of the watching bird or the wolf sneaking in to steal the sword as Midna spoke up when they regrouped at the riverbed.

"All right... So now you have a sword. Looks like you can actually be useful when you concentrate!" Both somehow shrugged as she continued. "All right... No more detours. I'm going to take you back into the twilight. Go back to the woods where you first transformed into that shape!" They headed out and avoided any more problems where the villagers, but they were not done as a quiet voice beckoned to them from inside the spring.

"Wait..." They turned to the spring in confusion as the voice continued. "Come...to my spring..." Link walked in with Amok landing in one of the trees before the voice pressed on in plea. "You have...been transformed...by the power...of shadow... Come...to me..." Link made it to the center, just as several unknown pillars fell and trapped him in as the voice whimpered. "Beware...A shadow being...it approaches..." The gate that returned them opened red and dropped a familiar thing and Link growled at the thing got up and attack, swiping and sweeping at him while Amok could get in, a protective barrier barring the fight so Link was on his own, but he was not done in as he tore the beast apart and it died, turning it into the same fragments and fully forming a blue portal of twilight, Link looking for the voice before the spring seemed to glow, the stones alight with green to white energy before an orb of light emerged form the spring water and started to form a large goat-like creature of white as it spoke. "O brave youth... I am one of four light spirits that protect Hyrule at the behest of the gods. I am Ordona."

Amok flapped over and landed on his friend as he asked. "What was that thing and what did it want, Ordona?"

"The black beast you slayed was a shadow being. It had come to seize the power of light I wield." The spirit looked down as he continued. "My brethren in Hyrule have already had their light stolen by these fell beasts. The entire kingdom has been reduced to a netherworld ruled by the cursed powers of darkness." Ordona looked back up as it explained. "The blight will not stop with Hyrule. Before long, the entire world of light will fall into the hands of the king who rules the twilight." That resulted in one answer. "To save this land from the king of twilight, the lost light must be recovered. The three light spirits who have lost their light must be revived. There is but one who can revive them and redeem this land..." Ordona gazed upon Link as the answer as Amok just hummed to the words. "You. You still have not discovered your true power... Those transformed by twilight usually cannot recover their original forms... Unless... If you were to return Faron Woods where you were first transformed... If you were to revive the light spirit... There, by the power of the light spirit, you may find the means to regain your other state of being..." Ordona faded away, but at least Ordon was protected as Link turned to the gate, destroyed still, but it still had a purpose.

"I guess we now have a mission to complete, don't we, you guys?"

"It would not be the first time something big has happened." Amok pointed out as he motioned Link forward. "Let's help where we can, we can change a number of things here." Link nodded as they headed for the darkness, Midna their way in as they took a short moment to ready themselves and were pulled into the twilight once again...


	4. Chapter IV - 4

They stirred from a rough handling of Midna to find... that she was not doing it right. "Hmm! So these are the weapons you use in your world?" How a shield is used as a face plate was a strange to see, but Amok was careful not to let her whack him with the sword as she commented. "You really think this thing can slay the creatures of twilight?"

"It is a possible chance, though I would make doubts about that, considering how Hyrule Castle is." Link yelped as the shield flopped on his face and the sword dropped against his shoulder toward the ground as Midna commented.

"...Well, I won't use these, but I'll hang on to them for you!" She snapped and they turned into fragments that entered Link's body before Midna mused. "All right, a promise is a promise... I trust you enough to help." Link slightly growled as Midna leaned in close to his ears. "In exchange for my help, though, I need you to gather some things for me." She paused as both of them started to hear the sound of a sorrowful song somewhere in the woods. "Look, I can't tell you all the details now, but it'll be easy, trust me..." Midna turned about and heard the same thing. "But enough about that. Do you hear that noise? It's the lamentation of the spirit that had its light stolen..." She tapped her jaw as she asked with a chuckle. "Where in the world could it be?" She picked a bit and gazed at her fingers with a smile as she finished. "Better get going, don't you think? Don't blame me for your world's fate if you don't hurry up and find that light!" She hummed gleefully as Link just listened before he felt a hard pat on his back as Midna spoke. "Come on! Snap to it!"

He growled to the treatment, but Amok still defended Midna in some way. "Take it easy, Midna is just doing it to make you lash out, we are not feral beings... at least, I personally don't think we are."

"I know..." Wolf Link huffed as he spoke. "I just don't like the treatment given, she should at least try and treat me as a person and not a beast of burden."

"Okay, so you would be okay with it if you had turned into an ox or horse?"

"Okay, wholeheartedly, that way, I may be able to haul more things about."

"With no fingers?" Link chuckled as Amok followed suit, Midna saying little before they were ambushed by several more shadow beasts, likely the ones that attacked the spirit and scattered the light, Midna leaving them to handle it on their own, but they couldn't do it in a timely fashion before the last bellowed a powerful yell and roused the two defeated back up, Amok humming as Midna returned. "Midna, how would we deal with all of these beasts at once?"

"Oh, simple, actually, I will create an aura around Fangs here and he will snap at them so quickly that time would actually feel frozen for a moment, I'm not sure if I could do the same with it, but that is for later."

"I suppose that will do." Link readied as the beasts charged, only to suffered the attack of lightning speed, all falling and forming another one of the portals, the pillars fading as they headed onward to the spring, a dimming glow that must be the spirit waiting for them as it plead.

"...Please...be careful... These woods...have changed... The dark clouds of dusk cover this land... This drape of shadows is called...twilight. In this twilight, those who lived in the light...become as mere spirits... it is a place...where the dark ones and evil creatures dwell..." It continued weakly in its inquire. "...I...am a spirit...of light... ...Blue-eyed beast with ally of azure feathers. "Look...for my light... Retrieve the light stolen by the dark beasts...and keep it...in this vessel." As if giving them its heart, it offered a vine-like object with empty orbs on it, both feeling the empty feeling that it now had. "In the shadows of twilight...the dark insects are as...invisible...as normal beings are here... Let me use the last of my power...to reveal the locations of the dark insects...that consumed the light..." As if revealing the map to them, a display formed in their minds and revealed strange blue dots that littered the land of Faron as the spirit continued. "...Find...the insects of darkness... The dark insects... They are the form taken by evil...once it has latched on to...our scattered light..."

"Well, I guess we have some bugs to crush if we are going to get those light fragments." Amok spoke as he landed once more before taking flight once again. "Let's move out now." They moved out to take out the bugs in the twilight-warped landscape, but it was interesting that the souls could see the bugs, but they couldn't see or hear the pair of animals taking them out. They traced through the tunnel and into the deeper section, but a fog of some vile darkness or toxin overflowed the low ground, leaving Link to follow Midna across the elevated ways while Amok could have track down the bugs and killed them just the same as the sense of a hawk were rather equal to that of a wolf, but he instead lagged behind and kept a careful eye on their efforts, dicing through the attackers when they came before they returned to the temple site that no longer had boulders, but webs blocking the way as they swept up the last of the bugs to hear some feedback from the monkey-turned-soul, the same one that was with Talo when the pair rescued them.

"Someone... Someone helped me?" The monkey once more and huffed as she looked to the webbed entrance. "Boy, lucky for me... Ever since the boss went funny in the head, there've been scary monsters everywhere..." It looked around again as it continued. "Those village kids got led through the woods for some reason... The whole forest is so weird now... What's happened?"

"Sounds like we have a lead on what happened, the village kids were lead out of the forest elsewhere, but the better question is where..." Amok preened himself before Link grabbed the last fragment and both shined bright before teleporting to the spring, the Vessel of Light floating out of their grasps and entered the waters, the twilight fading away as Midna took on her shadow form and whined about the change in scenery, the reason why she turned into a shadow was because, due to the effects of twilight existence, the light is like poison to them, they can't handle it too well before fading away, something... unexplained to them as she kept her secrets or thoughts to herself.

"Aww, but it was so nice here in the twilight... What's so great about a world of light, anyway?" Neither of them had an answer as Midna laughed and left. "See you later!" She spun and faded away as the light spirit formed, its form that of a monkey with a long tail like a scorpion, like the goat who had a long wolf-like tail, as it paused and looked to the both of them.

"My name is Faron. I am one of the spirits of light who dwell in Hyrule. By order of the gods, I protect this forest." It paused before continuing. "O brave youths... In the land covered in twilight, where people roam as spirits, you were transformed into a blue-eyed beast and azure-plumed bird... That was a sign... It was a sign that the powers of the chosen one and one of great magical strength rest within you both... and that they are awakening." It gestured to them. "Look at your awakened forms..." Link now donned a green tunic, hat, and armor, the sword and shield of Ordon on his back as he looked over his new look, his awakened form...? Amok was different, though he too was surprised as he donned a robe of royal blue, face hidden beneath a hood of the same with a mask of a pointed beak, finger-less gloves like Link's adorned his arms and hands as Faron spoke on. "The green tunic that is your garb once belonged to the ancient hero chosen by the gods while the garment of blue reveals a seer and chronicler of the world's fate, hidden away, but always there for the turn of the tale." Faron nodded as they directed their attention back to him. "Their power is yours. Theirs is the true power that slept within you... Your name, youth of the trees, is Link, while your ally of secret verse is named Amok. You are the hero chosen by the gods while the seer is your ally in this great fable."

"Whoa..." Amok spoke as he raised his humans hands in a long while. "No pressure there, great spirit..."

"But... I'm not..." Link slightly turned, what type of hero was he if he couldn't have saved someone and having seen his friends be injured or captured, would a hero have let that happen regardless, he could have at least stopped it beforehand, but Faron somehow sensed the unease and instead directed their focus to what they now seek.

"Brave Link and Wise Amok... A dark power rests in the temple deep within these woods. It is a forbidden power. Long, long ago, I and the other spirits of light locked it away." Both listened as Faron continued. "Because of its nature, it is a power that should never be touched by any who dwell in the light. But this worlds weeps beneath a mantle of shadows, and so there is no choice... You must match the power of the king of shadows." Faron started to fade as he finished. "If you would seek this forbidden power, then proceed to the temple in the forest depths." Link paused before he took in his garb once again.

"Hard to believe... that I am this hero that people need now..."

"Well, I don't blame you for feeling... overwhelmed." Amok answered as he crossed his arms, both leaving the spring behind for the solid ground, lit up by the light. "I don't know what the seer or chronicler thing is all about, but we are here and we need to help the world, no pressure right?"

"Right..." Luckily, Midna joined the chat in her shadow form.

"Well, well... You're the chosen hero and all that, huh? So THAT'S why you turned into that beast!" She huffed as she continued. "What a shame... I mean, maybe you'd rather just wander as a spirit like the rest of them, totally unaware of what was happening for all eternity...right?"

"I would rather not wander as a spirit, it's worse than being a bird." Amok groaned as Midna continued with a chuckle.

"So... What do you want to do? Do you want to head to that temple?" She hummed as she played it off. "Well, isn't that convenient! I was about to head there myself."

"It seems like it, doesn't it, you two?" Amok nodded as Midna versed it.

"Hey, look... You want to help your friends, right? The way I see it, maybe they're in the temple, waiting for you to rescue them..." Link an Amok shared a glance as it didn't seem likely that the village kids were trapped in the temple as Midna finished. "Well, good luck, Mr. Important Heroes!" She laughed again and faded back to the shadows as the pair headed over to get the key to unlock the gate into the depths. No sooner had they entered with lantern alight then the light stolen from right under them by the same monkey, now using it to ward a path through the fog and mist, the duo chasing the animal, but they more protected it from the monsters that came for it, Link getting in some valuable use with the shield-and-sword combo while Amok hadn't figured out what exactly he was able to do, though he did notice a puff of flames or a jolt of lightning leave his hands in some form or another, clearly his power was indeed awakening as they made it to the other side and retrieving the empty lantern for the need of it, refilling it with an extra bottle of oil on hand.

They faced off with the creatures that had lingered around the house, Amok actually able to identify them as Bulblins, again when they started to head for the temple, but they stopped short as their path was barred by a wolf of gold fur, seemingly waiting for something to past by, as its single red eye gazed about before it snarled, priming to attack when Link readied himself as well. "What is this wolf doing here and what exactly is it?"

"I don't know... but..." Amok paused as he readied as well, something was not... connecting, was this wolf part of the problem in some way. "I would advise concern with this one..."

"Too late!" Link shouted as the wolf tensed. "Here it comes!" It leapt at them and everything turned to white...

* * *

Link groaned as he got up, did that wolf just kill them or something...? He stopped as he looked about with sword and shield out, where he was not was not the forest of Faron, it was a place of white fog and ground as it crunched under his boot before he paused, the panting of the wolf shifting to a ghastly sound of breathing and he spun around to his fear.

Standing before him, armor in ruin, but still viable, adorned the skeletal figure with shield and sword in hand as it shifted into a stance of combat and Link jumped in without a thought, wanting to banish the fiend that stole everything from him, but his blade only slammed into the shield and he was slammed back, laying on his back as the being... lectured him. "A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage."

"Wh-What!?" Link stammered as he got up and stared at the figure as it pointed its blade at him, but didn't move to kill him.

"You may be destined to become the hero of legend... but your current power would disgrace the proud green of the hero's tunic you wear." Link hissed back as he countered, suddenly the fear welled to focus to defeat this creature.

"You don't get to tell what I am or what I can do, spirit!" The entity just lectured Link instead of being provoked to attack.

"You must use your courage to seek power... and find it you must. Only then will you become the hero for whom this world despairs." Link noticed that the thing or rather shade was left-handed like him as it continued. "If you do find true courage, and you wish to save Hyrule from the horrors it now faces..." It didn't speak like a instructor pointing out the flaws, it spoke like a mentor to guide one one their path. "Then you will be worthy to receive the secrets I hold!" They clashed blades in a spar, but the figure allowed Link to strike, enough to feel the moment and strike, plunging his sword into the things chest and backing off as the shade got back up, the damage healing as it spoke. "The first hidden skill, the ending blow, has been passed on!" Link nodded as he performed it once more and sheathed the sword as the shade spoke. "There are still six hidden skills for you to learn." Link listened as it continued. "Those are only for one who carries the blood of the hero... the one whose spirit is that of the sublime beast."

"Blood of the hero... the sublime beast?" But the shade didn't answer those questions as it just continued.

"Grow powerful. Test your courage. And when you find that you need another skill to overcome the threats that face you... Search for the statues that howl with the sound of the wind. Seek the sound that calls to the spirit of the beast to awaken me again." Link nodded as the shade continued. "A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage. Remember those words..." It sheathed its blade as it bid farewell and the realm went white again...

* * *

Amok groaned as he rolled, feeling the snowy texture as he pushed up and looked around, standing up as he inquired. "Where am I...?"

"We are in Hyrule, however, a different one than the one that you are familiar with." Amok whipped about to a tree, but more exactly the owl that rested in the tree, the surrounding hazy like a fog, but clear enough that Amok could tell. He barely raised his hands to fight when the owl spoke. "Lower your arms, I am not your foe, rather I am a mentor for your budding powers, but you have yet to learn them fully." The owl flapped and Amok held ground as each one was like a gust of wind pushing him. "I am the guide of a budding hero, Kaepora Gaebora, and I have come as my other form to mentor you on the powers you now possess, likewise with your blood blessed when the world was young with demons and goddesses reborn." Kaepora landed in front of him as Amok shook off his cloak and adjusted the mask as he spoke in confusion.

"Demons and goddesses reborn...!? When did...!?"

"There is little time for questions, your ally is being mentored by whom suffers from a legacy not passed on." The owl bobbed its head and turned it, even inverted it as it continued. "With my guidance, you will learn to control the elements to your beckon call, but further, I will teach you to channel the light, its radiant glow and its bright soul, into the world and smite those that serve evil in all forms."

"Uh..." Amok raised a finger as he felt the power surge and he learned in his mind how to better control it, even fire the power in bolts of energy, even learning the power of 'Radiant Vision' which fires a beam of searing light at his foes as long as he focuses. "Shouldn't it be...?"

"No... another teacher of this power will tell you why, evil is not isolated to the darkness, it also appears in the light and in the land itself, to believe that darkness is the essence of all evil is a mistake, evil can appear anywhere..." The realm started to faded as Kaepora finished. "It is time, follow your ally and he will open the way for more power for you to master and understand."

"Wait...!" But the realm faded to white as Amok pondered. "Kaepora... why does that name sound like it is familiar to me...?"

* * *

Both groggily got up and found that they had returned to the forest, was the events that happened to them just an illusion? It couldn't have been as Amok now was able to blast a stream of fire or wind at his command. They used that to get in as they explored the Forest Temple, finding the same monkey that stole the lantern trapped and they freeing her as they continued through the wide chambers that loomed about the place, even witnessing who the boss was, a very red-butt monkey with a boomerang infused with dark power, the monkey directing them elsewhere, the answer coming that she wanted them to help find more of the monkeys for something, they even getting the aid of a strange mix of bird and bug-eyed human named Ooccoo as they proceeded through.

The answer came when the bridge collapsed on finding the first monkey so they added their skills and tossed the pair across the way, so it came down to the need to save more monkeys so that they could confront that crazed baboon with the boomerang via swinging across a deep chasm and dealing with the number of plant-based monsters that filled the halls with the likely appearance of Bokoblins and Skulltulas to block the path, though the Bomblings were actually fairly useful in dealing with some of the obstructions that faced them. "You would think that things couldn't get any stranger for a first-time exploration of a dungeon like this."

"Yeah, this is a bit strange..." Link answered as they headed back to where the bridge was cut with four monkeys in tow. "Between a monkey going absolutely crazy with some power and a boomerang, the infestation of these monsters, and those Bokoblins, we could be in deep with something else going on. We still don't know what the 'forbidden power' could be."

"Indeed..." Amok turned back as they swung over and landed before the way. "But we do know that it could help match against the king of darkness who is spreading twilight." Midna was unresponsive to the words as she just hid in Link's shadow and only joined in if they asked for some guidance through or for some random quip or something. "Let's hope that it can help." They pressed on, fighting the possessed monkey whose butt must REALLY hurt from how much they wailed on the poor thing, its own pain causing it to slam into the center totem and dislodge the thing on its head, a gold-colored Skulltula before the monkey bolted out of there and the pair obtained the power of the Gale Boomerang, purified with its Fairy of Winds liberated as well to aid them in their journey, turning out that it helped greatly as it allowed them to manage the puzzles and change them around so that they could access more of the temple, save three more monkeys and obtaining a unusual key before heading further in and swinging on a... monkey rope before they unlocked the way to the final foe with the unusual key, the doors sliding open before they stepped in, both gagging at what met them.

"By the Gods! What is this stench!?"

"Perhaps the reason why there was such toxic fog in the forest." Amok answered as both closed their mouth and nose with a piece of their attire as the room was disgusting, life having withered and died, but that seemed to not stop the mass flow and body of toxic fluid that filled the far end of the chamber, just as two enormous Deku Baba heads emerged from the waters and tried to make a snack of them. Too bad for them that they had to settle with Bomblings, but theirs was not the main body as, when both were sent back under, the real mass emerged from the waters as a mutated, clinging mass of plant with a eye inside its jaw, its emergent having sunk the Bombling hiding holes and they had to dodge some as Amok's new firepower just didn't damage the thing, the hide or fiber of it all was too durable and dripping with the liquids, but the boss monkey came to their aid as it swung on by with Bomblings in hand, Link using the Gale Boomerang to blast the thing and they wailed on the eyes, destroying the beast as it fossilized and the eye dropped for a Heart Container, an object said to be something to empower mortals to tackle greater challenges like what five Heart Pieces could do for them as the now husk turned back and burst into black fragments, the water clearing to a blue color, before forming back together to form a similar piece to Midna's head piece, the possibility that the Twilt Parasite of Diababa was made by it was a chance as Midna chuckled.

"Well done! That's... what I was looking for." She snatched it out of Link's hands or rather near hold of it as she answered the more pressing question. "That's a Fused Shadow. It's what the light spirit called dark power..." Both looked at each other as Midna lectured them about it. "Do you remember what that spirit said? About how you had to match the power of the king of shadows?"

"Yeah..." Amok answered as he motioned. "What else could the spirit have been talking about?"

"Could it really be so easy? Is this all there is to it?" Midna chuckled as she pointed out what they needed to do. "There's a total of three Fused Shadows. I think the other light spirits have the rest... If you want to know exactly what Fused Shadows are... Well, maybe I'll tell you if you guys find the other two." She shrugged in the shadow form as she spoke. "I guess you'd better do your best to find them, huh?" The hand fluxed to pull it in while Midna turned to a good spot. "So let's not waste any more time here when we could be looking for the other two..." She opened a portal and they grabbed the container before entering, the portal teleporting them back to the Spirit's Spring of Faron to learn more about what they are needed to do...


	5. Chapter V - 5

They reappeared at the edge of the water, the air feeling much more cleaner as Faron spoke while recovering from the vile effects of the Twilight theft. "Heroic Link and Empowered Amok..." They turned their attention to the spring as the voice spoke. "Do not think that Hyrule is now saved from the spread of twilight... Leave these woods and go to the east, where you will find the land protected by the spirit Eldin. There you will find those you seek... But know that these lands lie in twilight... They are now a dark realm covered by the clouds of dusk. If you set foot beyond the curtains of twilight, you will revert to your beast forms, so be prepared. Heroes chosen by the gods, leave these woods and go west, to the land of the spirit Eldin." Midna spoke up next as she liked the idea that they had a lead on where to go for the next and that, if they enter the Twilight again, which is likely, then she would take good care of them, that didn't instill confidence in Midna too well as they headed past the puffy-haired man and continued on, the small fields of Hyrule rather large and surprising to the pair, but they focused on the task as they took out some extra Bokoblins along the way before they approached the wall of twilight that barred them and Midna replied.

"Hey, it was much closer than I thought..." Midna spoke as she turned to the duo "You remember, right? You know what this is?"

"It's hard not to forget with you." Link pointed out as Midna rambled.

"If you two set foot in there, you might be a wolf and hawk again for some time... For at least as long as it takes you to save the light of Eldin from the twilight, anyway..."

"Well, we can't just linger with twilight about, we need to clear it out, Midna, your own want of it is... not really a surprise for its standard appearance ot you, but we need to do it." She shrugged to Amok's point as she spoke.

"So, shall we try to go see the light spirit Eldin?" She chuckled as Link had the answer.

"Yes, let us be on our way." Midna nodded as she entered the Twilight before pulling both of them in with a large grab, both dropping to the ground and got up shortly before they transformed, Midna thumping on Link as she remarked.

"Those are good boys! Now you both need to listen to what I say from now on!" She hummed as she took in the twilight once more as Amok perched on Link once more to Midna's musing. "Ahh, look! How lovely! The black clouds of twilight are so fetching today..." I feel so much more at ease here..." She patted Link as she continued. "And you both look so much better like these then in those dusty old clothes, anyways." She chuckled as she motioned them to go. They headed up the way before something stops Link from going any further, a familiar tool of his as resting in the center of the trail outward to another wide plan area was his wooden sword broken in half and he rushed over as Amok inquired.

"What is it...?" Link answered between sniffs to get a bearing.

"Kids... four of them... Talo, Malo, Beth, and Colin... I can smell their scent on this old tool of mine!"

"Well, that's helpful." Amok remarked as Midna answered as well, rather lax about it.

"See, isn't being a wolf more convenient? You've begun to awaken as a wolf!" She chuckled as Wolf Link headed out to follow the trail, but they were stopped again when they had to face shadow beasts, but also the only way to follow the scent was across a wide chasm, and the bridge was out, like it wasn't even there as Midna commented. "What's this?! That's strange... The bridge is gone..." She hummed as she pondered it. "I wonder if this is the work of those shadow creatures..." She groaned at the pain of all of it before deciding that they needed to find the piece, impossible, but she was firm as she explained the use of the twilight portals that opened when they killed the shadow beasts, they not reverting back, but that was far form their minds as they were in Eldin, but back to Faron to find the bridge that Midna believed was lost around there, though it was not hard to spot, who would even make a bridge leaning crooked against the forest wall with no way to cross or ascend it, it had to be the bridge and Midna showed over an impressive amount of power while in shadow form to lift the bridge form its resting and then fragment both them and the bridge back to Eldin, the bridge fitting back in with ease, like it was never removed in the first place as they formed on it with Midna thudding on Link again. "See! Just as I thought..." She chuckled as she commented. "So, isn't the power of twilight amazing?" That was up to debate as they pressed on, Link's nose tracing the scent across and toward... a strange gate?

Indeed, it was a strange gate, the foundation of an old gate was there, but tightly packed in was a black and rusted stained gate of spikes and ill craftsmanship, but it still served its task of being both an object in their path and a point to look into as to why would monsters what to lock up the way further into Eldin. It put everyone off as Amok just murmured. "What even..." But Midna was more apparent with her words as she looked at it and the slight sight of guards on the other side.

"Huh... What are they doing there?" She looked about the gate as she inquired. "This is a pretty elaborate gate... What are they trying to keep in? ...Or out?"

"That is a good question." Amok answered as he flapped to the top and peered about as the things, perhaps monsters that were immune to the twilight's power to instead take on different forms in it, were heedless to the hawk. "None of them have a key to open this, so this falls on the understanding that maybe something higher than these has the way to undo the locks and open the gate."

"I bet it'll be worth our while to dig in..." Midna answered as Link nodded and burrowed under the gate, the creatures distracted that they didn't last to the combined attack before they pressed on. As for the village of Kakariko, it has seen better days as they took on the power of the shadow beasts once more and liberated another portal from the twilight, obtaining another vessel of light for the spirit for them to hunt down the insects that make their home in the village. The spirit warned them that now the darkness was hunting them, but they didn't seem endangered yet as they headed out, pausing before a strange building before Link headed to the top of it with Midna's aid and they rested for a moment as they tried to debate their plans...

...But they needed to 'define' debate as the spot that Link sat on was not of stone, but straw and he fell right on down, into the building and he got up to pause again, at the window looking out was the strange man with the metal mask, but at one of the benches was a regal-looking man, robes draping to show a odd symbol that he had never seen before just as Amok entered and engaged his senses as well and spotted the symbol.

"That mark bears a striking resemblance to the Hylian emblem, could this man be a priest or the like...?" Link didn't know, but sheltered by the man were two of the Ordon Children, Talo and Beth, while Colin loomed a little distance from the man and his daughter who was on the other side of Beth, a further distance was Malo before the man spoke, drawing their attention to him.

"Cripes! I don't see those black brutes anywhere..." They listened to the conversation as it went on. "They've gotta be hidin' somewhere, waitin' for their helpless little prey to come out! Then they'll FEAST!" Amok turned to Midna as he perched on the statue as if to question if shadow beasts work like that and she just shook her head as Talo looked a bit more scared when the man turned and spoke, his voice a soothing note.

"We are safe as long as we remain in here, child. Be at ease."

"Oh yeah?" The mask lifted up to a breaded man looking rather out of fit, but his profession may have been something related to the village as he commented bitterly, drawing the man's eye. "I wonder if the monsters out there agree with you..." It was clear that he was not the best of bravery and just wanted to get things over with. "They sure didn't seem impressed by my bombs! How long do you think we can hold this sanctuary against beasts that strong, huh?" His words were negative about the situation and it only served to scare the kids of Ordon a bit more. "Once they attack, it's OVER!" A tale started up at how hopeless it sounded. "Remember the lady from the general store? Just one of those things attacked her, and a whole gang from town went to save her!" There were looks of worry in their eyes to see as the man continued. "And what happened? She was already gone, and there were TWO monsters waiting'!" Beth was shaking as the priest-like man listened. "...You connectin' the dots? That mean that if we get attacked by them, then we'll be..." Amok heard enough and his timing was nearly perfect to the man's exclaim.

"BARNES!" The man looked at the scared man with outrage, but he also witnessed sparks fly off the mask and scribe the word 'coward' in Hylian. Barnes was heedless to the event as he huffed and Beth started to cry as the man looked at the terrified man and he slumped down, still heedless to the word, but everyone else noticed it as the man pondered what force did that in such short time and groaned a bit before Barnes crept over a bit as he inquired fearfully.

"Look, Renado... All I mean to say is that it's risky here, too! Ain't you got some place we can hide?" Renado hummed before he gave a small smile at a dark thought.

"There is... a cellar." That provoked an action as Barnes sped with inhuman speed and exclaimed with teeth clenched.

"WHAAT?! You've got a CELLAR?! Where's the entrance, man?" Renado hummed as he looked about the room with an answer.

"The entrance to the cellar is designed to open when all of the candles have been lit..." Barnes was determined as he lifted a torch and scurried over to the center urn and lit it, perhaps a point of worship before the other girl spoke.

"I... would not do that..." Barnes fell over, dousing the torch as the girl spoke. "When Father instructed me to secure the cellar, I saw insects like the beasts outside..." Clearly, the targets for the vessel of light for the trio still somewhat invisible to the people, Amok chuckling a bit at the work he had done and just waited for someone to point it out. Barnes scrambled back to his window point in terror as Colin tried to console Beth.

"Don't cry, Beth! It's be OK!" But she pushed the hand away and turned more to Renado as Colin had a belief. "Link is coming to save us all!" It draw their attention as Beth stopped, Talo moved like he believed it too, the girl as confused while Renado pondered in silence and Barnes... is going to be Barnes as Colin continued. "...I can feel it!" Talo scoffed as the trio watched the scene before Midna spoke.

"These kids knew you'd come to save them! What a hero!" She mused as if she didn't understand, Link motioned back down as Midna did take notice to that as she continued. "How sad, to be right in front of someone and not be noticed at all..." She chuckled as she pressed on. "You are chosen by the gods, and only that keeps you from turning into a spirit, or worse, into a dark monster, when you enter twilight. And no one knows what you have done... You may be doomed to toil in obscurity forever..." She shrugged as she continued. "You're the type to worry about everything, I can tell...but don't fret over Princess Zelda! She chose this state of affairs, after all..."

"So, it was her doing that the king of darkness now drapes Hyrule in twilight, I am starting to feel like you never even had a reason to be here and that you just hate everything that Hyrule stands for." Amok was cold in his judgement and Midna drew back some as he finished. "We may be simpletons, but you need to perform a better role as our 'master', Midna, if you wish for us to be more willing to help your search." Midna hummed in grief before she moved along to the next thought.

"Anyway, what's with having to light candles to get to the basement?! Not very subtle, is it..." She hummed as she patted Link. "So, what are you going to do now? My lonely little hero..." She finished with a chuckle before Renado spoke.

"By the way, Barnes, your mask..."

"Yeah, finest in Kakariko bombs and..."

"Cowardice?" Barnes raised a brow before pulling off the mask and looking at it, dropping it as he clung to the window in panic as Renado spoke. "It would appear that something else is here with us, but whether it be friend or foe, we need to ask."

"What do you mean, Father?" Renado hummed before he spoke.

"O spirit, lingering within our sacred sanctuary, grant us answer, where have the beasts gone?" All remained quiet, Barnes planing to say something before a tapping echoed, all turning to the center piece before writing started to appear on the wood of the opposite bench. It read in Hylian, 'the beasts are gone, but the cellar will be cleansed soon, give my ally a moment to light some fires.', They didn't know what that meant before the stick started to float and ignited itself, floating over to the candles like it was being carried by something and the piece moved aside for the trio to descend, Renado taking a moment to examine the stick to find it strange, it felt like a dog or wolf had it in its mouth.

The bugs were not that troubling to deal with initially as they dealt with three in the cellar and jumping out into a graveyard of a additional one. After that, they started to scour the town for any more of the bugs, even taking care of some more of the guards in the inn, though they should have thought it through with the house on the cliff face above Barnes's shop, one look told Amok everything and he flew out of there with Midna joining him before Link booked it as well, the reason... they lit a fire in a bomb storage and the bugs were the carriers of that flame that Link lit, the whole building exploding, just how the cookie just seemed to crumble at times.

They cleared out the bugs in the town, but now it was onto the next part where the Vessel was gesturing to, a large mountain that surged out smoke and fire as more souls appeared, but they were hulking, rock beings that Link took a moment to question. "What are these things, I've never seen them before."

"Well, it is not often that one meets or finds a Goron far from their home of Death Mountain." Amok answered as he saw the same and gave a real reason. "The Goron race are proud and honorable creatures, but they are often not seen off their home of heritage, it is both a sacred place and great home to the rock race." They headed on and dealt with another insect before Link stop, Amok perching on him as Midna asked.

"What are you two...?"

"Don't you hear it...?" Midna groaned, but acknowledged as she listened for something they heard, the vents of steam loud, but there was something else now that she heard it, a song in the wind, and she opened her eyes again to what the origin was, resting on an higher piece of rock was a strangely-shaped stone, a hole in the center, but the wind blew to make the song and Link and Amok moved over to it before Amok whistled and Link howled in tone, their song drawing them to a new place, high up and overlooking the realm of Hyrule, on an outcropping that must represent Faron Woods or Ordona sat the golden wolf and Link spoke.

"There he is..."

"He is waiting for us to answer through the music." Amok spoke as he took flight in the dreamscape and started to whistle again, Link joining in to play the song with their voices, to feel the energy that played out and its effect. It was a song to mend the soul, to heal the broken, and to lay to rest those that never could pass on without something to resolve their grief, the song was that of healing and the golden wolf howled in tone to their effort before he spoke, voice bellowing across to them, Amok knowing it as the shade that Link told him of.

"Let teachings of old pass to you... Take sword in hand and find me..." The wolf leapt off and the dream faded, both waking back up when Midna thumped on Link, but he knew where to find the wolf once he was human again, now by Ordona's spring. They pressed on to the base of Death Mountain or rather the entrance of the Goron's city where they cleared out a few more shadow beasts with another portal opening before they finished with the insects, their bodies glowing before taking them back to the spring, to free the next spirit of light...


	6. Chapter VI - 6

They returned to the spring, it rather large now that they think about it, as the Vessel curled up and entered the spring, clearing the twilight as Amok and Link returned to being human in the dusty and heated air of Kakariko, contributed to the location of Death Mountain as well as Midna, back in shadow form, spoke. "Aw, I was just starting to have fun!" She waved it off as she continued. "Don't forget that Fused Shadow!" She pulled the same routine that she did at Faron as the spirit started to form with its orb, a moth-like bird that grasped the orb in its talons before it spoke.

"My name is Eldin. I am one of the light spirits of Hyrule. I am the spirit that guards these lands." The wings moved with flow and rhythm as it continued. "O great heroes chosen by the gods..." Eldin's head tilted to the glowing red of Death Mountain as it continued. "The dark power you seek lies in the sacred grounds of the proud mountain dwellers. But already those grounds have been defiled, draped in shadow and seeded with evil." Eldin looked back to the pair as it continued in trust with their vision turning back to it. "You must go to those sacred grounds and cleanse them." Eldin then faded to recover from the loss of power it now had, but it now protected the land, Amok turning to his friend, the beak mask hiding his face once more.

"Let's get going, we don't have much time before twilight makes another move." Link nodded as they both came out of the spring water before pausing, the door to the sanctuary open to Colin standing there while the others hung back a bit.

"Link?!" Colin was shoved to the ground by the rush of Talo and Beth and he looked up as Malo passed by, Talo taking on the role of fully believing that Link had come to save them, Malo knew the facts fully as Colin got back up with Renado, his daughter, and Barnes coming out to meet the young man who came to save them, none really noticing Amok as he was a mystery from the standard attire, though Link was kind of a stranger in his hero garbs as Renado walked over and spoke.

"...You are the one from Ordon whom these children spoke of?" He cast a glance to Amok as he bowed to the man and he exchanged a nod as he faced back to Link. "We are well met. I am Renado, shaman of this town. And this..." Barnes chuckled a bit in hello, so Renado just skipped him. "This is my daughter, Luda." Barnes huffed a bit as the mask fell back down, he making a note to get a new one ready for work as he left before Colin spoke.

"The beasts took us and left us to die... but Mr. Renado found us." Renado replied to the praise that Colin carried.

"At first, I couldn't believe they had come from so distant a place as the Ordona Province..."

"Yeah, I..." Colin started before he continued. "We don't remember much. All of a sudden everyone was captured, and then... until now... it's been like..." Malo looked off to the side as he voiced the last part.

"...A nightmare." Colin agreed as he spoke again.

"Yeah! It was like a terrible dream and we couldn't wake up..." Renado hummed as he spoke.

"Nightmares are everywhere these days, it seems. This village has certainly seen its share of recent hardships..." They could see the level of destruction wrecked, but Renado looked elsewhere, further up. "The dark beasts attacked, but even worse was the sudden and inexplicable change in the mountain-dwelling Goron tribe." That would explain a number of things that the duo saw in the community, the Gorons seemed to whisper and mumble how they were having trouble, but their 'elders' wished to bar humans from their lands, keeping them out for some reason. "They had long been our friends, but suddenly treated us as foes. Even now, they refuse to permit us entry into their mines. It strains the limits of belief... To think that such a gentle and proud tribe could change so suddenly..." He hummed as he continued. "It makes me wonder if something in those mines is the cause of this change..." He turned back to Link and his ally as he requested an impossible thing. "In any case, you must take these children and flee this village before more nightmares descend." Amok asked the question.

"If that is the case, then shouldn't you, your daughter, and that plump man leave as well, if the nightmares come down, then why linger here?" Renado huffed as he answered,

"I, of course, cannot leave my village in such a time. There is no telling what may happen to us here... But it is my job to try to coax the Gorons back from their recent change of heart." The children of Ordon looked otherwise, a sense of repaying the kindness of Renado by lingering in the town, and it was going to be impossible to even get the kids back to the village, as it stands, they needed a horse and cart to get them back and they had neither as Link looked to the mountain as the groups disbanded a bit before Amok reached out and took Link's arm as he inquired to Link's sudden movement toward the mountain.

"Hey, do you know what you are doing, Link?"

"I have to try something, there is no way we are getting the kids back to Ordon without facing more monsters and we can't protect them all out on the road without further measures." He turned, the grasp loose enough to get out of it as he continued. "I say we see the Gorons, not only is it our mission, but it is also the only way to get Kakariko back up to friendly terms with the mountain-dwelling race, we need to try."

"Not that I am denying your choice, but..." Amok spoke as he lifted the mask and looked to Link as he explained. "...Are you sure, you may have wrestled goats, but Gorons are going to be a different story." Link said nothing as he strode for the mountain as Amok spoke, Midna switching shadows. "That guy is going to get himself killed one of these days, I just know it."

"Ah, it wouldn't be too problematic for me as long as..."

"I am not going to carry you in my talons, they bite deep and you have glass skin in the first place." Amok replied to Midna's attempt to say that she had a second servant ready as Amok joined up with Link and they headed in, the ladder was indeed destroyed, but they could easily scale the wire mesh that ascend up and headed further, if not for the lookout Goron spotting Link since he climbed up and Amok stayed on the ground in wait.

"Ah! No humans allowed!" Link readied himself as the Goron continued. "These lands ahead belong to the Goron Tribe! The elder said no humans may pass!" He coiled up and spun in place before rolled right at Link, he was right with the method as stopping the Goron was like stopping a goat, but the Goron had too much power behind him as Link was launched off due to his light frame as the Goron remarked. "A human's strength is nothing compared to a Goron's! Do you understand me, human? Then away with you!" The Goron stomped back to his post as Amok helped Link up, Midna switching back.

"I don't think we are going to get anywhere with the Gorons, we need to figure out a way to either dodge the attack or somehow be heavier than the Gorons can push."

"Yeah..." Link groaned as he rubbed his back and popped a few bones in his body, he was not dead or severely hurt, but the Goron packed a punch. "That is a good plan..." Both nodded as they headed out, pausing as Renaldo was actually coming up the trail and sighed in relief as he spoke.

"Ah! how fortunate you both are in one piece! I saw you heading up the mountain trail, so I was worried." The shaman breathed as he lectured them a bit. "Are you trying to reach the Gorons of Death? It is far too dangerous, both of you!"

Amok raised his hidden brow as he asked. "How so, Renaldo?"

"They recognize only strength!" That could be more evident in some way, but they needed some level of detail to that. "A normal person could never persuade them..." The man paused before he spoke of another. "But... I do know one person who was able to best them and earn their trust..." Both looked at the other before back to Renaldo as he continued. "His name is Bo." Both of their eyes widened, even more when the shaman pressed on. "You both may know him as the mayor of your hometown, Ordon."

"Whoa... I heard of many feats, but how did OUR mayor best Gorons!?" Link mumbled as Amok just hummed in thought. "I've seen the guy and he is not the best for that fight!"

Renaldo dismissed that as he spoke. "Please, go to him. And while are there, please let him know that the children are safe." He hummed as he continued the trail of thought. "Of course, getting them back would be best... but we could not keep them safe from the monsters on the road without a horse and cart... Please... Return to Ordon and inform the parents that their children are free from harm. Give them my word."

"Don't worry, we will inform them, Renaldo." Link answered as Amok nodded as well as they headed down the road as he spoke. "Now what are we going to do. Digging a larger hole to get through that gate is going to be murder."

"I don't know, we are not bound to the twilight any more here, so that is the question." Amok answered as they continued down the way. "How are we going to get back to Ordon and inform the people of what is happening here?" Link paused as Amok spoke. "Something up?"

"I hear it..." Link turned around and Amok turned as well as a sound started to come, the sound of galloping hooves from up the way, a brief pause before the galloping resumed, the horse that was Link's charging straight for them before Link called out. "Epona!"

"LINK! WATCH OUT!" Both dove to the sides as Epona nearly plowed into them as Link gasped, Epona was marked up and completely terrified as Link jumped on, provoking Epona into a frenzied charge as Amok called out. "GET HER TO CALM DOWN, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO IT!"

"Easier said than done!" Link nearly howled, but he focused on holding on, Amok getting back greatly before Link felt a pause and lashed out, snatching the reigns and pulling himself on, his hands soothing the frenzied animal before she came to a trot and reared to his command and he huffed as Amok walked over with relief on his face as well somehow. "This is good, Epona is back with us and we can jump over the gate, no problem now!"

"Yes..." Amok spoke as he breathed a bit more just to be sure. "It is a great fortune to have her here, I was not fully aware that she was taken though." The pair nodded as Midna made her reappearance as she remarked.

"You're not too shabby a wrangler after all! Won't this make getting back to your town a lot easier?"

"It will and we will return." Amok spoke as he got up with help. "Death Mountain has not seen the last of us here." Link nodded as they rode out, getting a letter from that strange bird thing that they helped out and heading into Ordona through Faron, they pausing at the spring as the golden wolf was waiting for them and leapt at them...

* * *

Link stirred again as he looked upon the wolf before it howled and turned into the Shade as it spoke. "We meet again. You have a little more of the look of a hero than you did before... Do you feel ready to earn your next skill?" Link readied himself as his hands gripped the tools.

"I am ready." Despite the second time of this happening, Link felt more at ease than before, this shadow insisted on teaching him what he could do as the Shade spoke.

"Very well... But before we begin, I must test you to ensure you have mastered the last skill I taught you... the ending blow." Link displayed it the way it was meant and the Shade got back up as it spoke. "Excellent. It appears you are certainly capable of performing my lost art." It nodded as it continued. "Very well. My second skill is... the shield attack! Let it be hewn into your mind!" Link was drilled on how it works, if a foe is armored and ready with a shield, his blade will not cut, that is where the shield attack comes as it will off balance his foe and allow a opening to be used. The skill could also be used for reflecting projectiles, the Shade capable of launching bolts of magic at him to test it as the Shade spoke of five more skills to teach Link. "The path to becoming the true hero is a long one, but once you have grasped all of the hidden skills, you shall be worthy of walking it. You must persist on the lonely path of the sword to obtain true courage and earn the strength to conquer the great evils of the world!" It slid the blade into the ground as the light started to brighten. "Do not forget your discipline with the blade before we meet again!" Link nodded as his vision was filled with white, wondering where the next stone could be found...

* * *

Amok pushed up and shook his head, expecting Kaepora to be there, but instead it was a young girl on a tree stump, ocarina in hand as she played a tune. It embodied the forest and the spirits as she paused before she spoke.

"You know, you would not believe me if I told you what I am, correct?"

"That depends..." Amok spoke as he looked her over, likely that of nine or ten, but she was dressed in a green tunic with green hair, but the more interesting fact was the small orb of light that fluttered about. "A fairy...?" He turned his gaze back to the being, recalling a mention of forest children. "You wouldn't happen to be a Kokiri, would you?"

"Ah, yes, you are correct..." The girl chuckled before she spoke, rather pleased to talk. "I am Saria, but I was not forever that of the living, in the time twisted by evil, I was also the Sage of the Forest, a role I took on with both honor and remorse." She cupped her hands as she spoke. "It is strange... seven years before these events, I had a friend, a lonely boy with no fairy until the day he got one... and left in sorrow when our guardian, the Great Deku Tree, died." She huffed as she spoke. "He bore the Kokiri's Emerald on his person and I knew that the Great Deku Tree gave it to him before his death, meaning that he did a great service before passing on, it was key to a greater adventure that I had never expected."

"I... would hate to disrupt your story, but..."

"Oh, silly me, there I go to tell a story of a life gone past and a history that never existed now." She played once more and Amok felt the increase in power, his fire and wind being added on with the power of water and he learned to channel the wind in 'Gale Aura', an added bonus was the leaves that fluttered about as she spoke. "Not many realize it, but he was still my friend, he just forgot who he was once, he sought out a friend and the kingdom somehow forgot him." She shook her head as she started to faded in a green aura and energy. "Hyrule was indebted to him and his efforts, if not for him... the dark-skinned man would have made the future to his desires..." She disappeared as Amok hummed to the growing white.

'A Kokiri... Doesn't the Koriki date back a hundred years...?'

* * *

Both roused themselves back up and Link tested the Shield Bash for a little bit while he watched Amok generate the gale in a protective aura, suitable of blocking ranged attacks or surprising the foes that come for him. They got back up on Epona and headed back to Ordon, everyone indoors more or less, but one voice called out to them. "Link?! Amok?!" The mayor spoke with surprise in his eyes. "Whoa, it IS you two! You're safe and sound!" He took a moment in ponder as he answered. "Your clothes... What happened to you, lads?"

"It's... a long story, sir." Link answered as Epona trotted over before Bo shook off the daze and spoke.

"C-Come quick! Inside!" Both dismounted and followed Bo into the house before he asked what was happening, they explaining it out without the mention of the twilight or monsters as Bo sighed with his eyes to the ceiling. "I see... So the young' uns are in Kakariko Village!" He looked better with that weight off his chest. "Well, that's good... Renado's an old friend. If they're in his care, then we can relax." His eyes flew open, surprising as he plead. "So... Don't keep me waitin', lad!" They looked each other in surprise as Bo spoke. "Tell me of my little girl! Ilia is with the rest of 'em, right?" Link took on a sorrowful look as he turned in grief, but Amok was more vocal.

"I am sorry, Sir, but Ilia wasn't in Kakariko, all we found were the kids in the village, but we have not given up the search."

"...Oh! I see... That ain't what I wanted to hear..." He grumbled before he sighed and spoke once more. "But you two... I guess I need to think of all five of those poor kids, not just my own... They're all in danger." He rested a hand to his jaw as he asked. "What I should be askin' is how I can help out..." Link turned back as he spoke.

"Well, we have a problem, it has something to do with the Gorons."

"What's that, now? The Gorons of Death Mountain?"

"Indeed." Amok explained as he pointed it out. "We came here to ask for how you managed to best the Gorons and gain their trust, Renado said as much, Sir." Bo hummed again as he spoke.

"I see... So Renado told you that..." He took a breath as he spoke. "Well, it's true... I did defeat the Gorons in a contest of strength and earned their trust." He paused before he admitted the last bit. "...With the help of a little secret." He looked to them as he explained. "I CAN teach you the secret... but can you both promise me that you absolutely, positively will NOT disclose it to anyone?" Both looked at the other before Link replied.

"We will not betray your word, Mayor Bo, we will keep the secret."

"Good. All rightly, then. Absolutely no one!" He then headed to the back room as he motioned them to follow, Link taking center stage as Bo explained that Gorons like to test their strength in sumo matches and contests, the basic to that are not too far off of Goat herding, when one is charging at someone, but Bo still put Link through his paces to get the basic understood, both in more sumo-related attire as Bo played it easy on the hero, but really pushed him to take him serious, like he would a Goron, Link managed it as Bo commented on the impressive skill before they were ushered out, Bo grabbing something before he spoke. "You've both gotten a sight stronger in the short time you've been gone, Amok and Link... Strong as you are, though, you can't hope to beat the Gorons wrestlin' with power alone. Those Gorons are made of rock!" He breathed as he answered what they needed. "Naw, the secret to beatin' the Gorons..." He looked to the side where he had dragged a hefty-looking chest in. "...is locked away in this chest. Take it with you, lads."

"Thank you, sir." Link spoke as he walked over and opened the chest and pulled out a pair of hefty boots, the sides and boot itself enveloped in a series of plates as he questioned. "What the...!? These things are heavy!"

"You can probably tell, those boots are made of iron, lads." Bo explained as he crossed his arms. "Whoever wears 'em won't easily be pushed around... even by a Goron." The pointed them out as they somehow made the boots disappear into whatever magical storage Link managed to get. "If you're fixin' to fight a Goron, be sure to wear those boots." He huffed as he continued with the whole 'secret vow' thing. "...Let's be square, though, lads: Both of you can't ever tell ANYONE about those boots! 'Specially Renado!"

Amok raised a hand as he answered. "Do not worry, we will keep your secret, I would like to think that the Gorons knew beforehand, but we can only hope at Death Mountain." The two of them headed out and told the good news to the rest of the villagers, relief sweeping through as Bo might have told them much later as they mounted up with a increased amount of strength from a fusion of five heart-like fragments and rode through Faron Woods to head back to the province of Eldin, a sense of worry filling their bones as Link motioned for Epona to speed up, Amok wishing that the feeling was just a bad bout of food...

...And not a feeling that something bad was going to happen in Kakariko...


	7. Chapter VII - 7

Talo and Beth were out in the main trail when the rumble of something sounded to them and they turned to the entrance of Kakariko as monsters attacked, Talo making a run for it, but Beth was frozen in place and would have been made grounded beef if Colin had pushed her out of the way and suffered for her fear, getting trampled a bit before the leader snatched him and ferried him in hand as Barnes came out, gasping as the beast, atop its armored boar creature lifted the face guard for Barnes to lower his mask as the thing huffed in acknowledge before Link yelped, the beast turning to see Epona with both members on the horse as Amok shouted. "Link, look!" Link didn't need to, the creatures behind this thing were the same ones that attacked them in the Spring, the burly thing laughing as it held up a wounded Colin before making for the fields beyond the second gate, its minions in tow as Renado shouted for them to give chase.

"Don't worry, we will not let that thing get away with this!" Link yelled as they rode on, Link jumping the fence as Amok took to the rocky outcropping, lightening Link's load as he came to a stop, gasping as Colin was roped up on the long pole the thing had before it taunted him as he hissed. "I will not let you harm Colin any more, I will put you down, beast!" He drew his sword as the thing pulled out a horn and blew, calling more of those minions and their boar-like mounts before taking off, Link grimacing as the odds were that it was expecting its minions to end him, but he had aid as he took off after the armored monster and the minions were cut down, either by him slashing both off, killing the one controlling the beast, or have blades of wind, jets of flames, or strikes of water killing them as the armor of the hefty creature was slashed off before it came to a conflict on the distant bridge, the battle taking up the majority of day as it slipped into twilight itself as Link pursued. "You are not escaping me!" He vaguely noted Amok catching up with gales of winds flying him over somehow, but the green-clad hero was more focused on the leader monster as he gasped as the entrance, barred with a barrier of some sort, was ignited and so was one behind the monster as the boar creature roared and growled, Epona whining in response and Link had a feeling that they were to engage in a joust of some sort, he with his blade and the monster with the boar's sharp horns.

But Link was ready as he readied the blade for a spin attack, hoping for the most range before the two dueled it, a near graze also threw off Link's aim, but he didn't let that stop him as he tried again and struck true, the thing losing some more armor before Link called out. "Go back to whoever sent you, your kind are not welcome to this land bathed in fear and darkness!" He struck true and the monster went flying over the bridge as the boar slammed into the barrier, the pole falling over and nearly into the fire if Amok didn't save Colin as Link stood on the midst of the bridge, raising his sword high as Epona made a stance too, Amok shaking his head as the team came over as Link spoke. "Let's go back to Kakariko Village, Colin needs help."

"We will not fail him, Link, give me a boost." He was helped up and the duo headed back, Amok keeping Colin safe as they returned...

* * *

Link's hand moved away from Colin's eyes as they opened and he spoke, Link the first to be taken in, the spirit's water healing him indeed. "Link..." He slowly moved as he asked. "Is everyone... OK?" They surrounded him with Talo and Beth looking at him from his feet, Malo at his head with Luda as Renado hovered behind them with Amok to his left, holding a bowl of the spirit water in hand, how he managed to convince Renado to use the water to heal Colin was a mystery, but it was still enough as Colin breathed. "..Good." He was still not out of the woods as he just struggled to move or speak. "Beth... I'm sorry. You know... for shoving you. Are you mad?" She shook her head as Colin turned his gaze to Link as he spoke. "I... I think I finally understand." Link listened as Colin continued. "I understand what my dad meant when he told me I needed to be stronger, like you, Link..." It was putting a great deal of stress on his body, but Colin still reached upward as he spoke. "He wasn't talking about strength, like lifting stuff. He was talking about being brave..." He groaned as he dropped the hand, gripping in a fist then loosened as he spoke. "Link... You saved me, didn't you?"

"Not alone, Colin..." Link smiled as he answered. "I face the same struggles, like you, Colin." The young boy puffed as he spoke.

"You... You can do anything. You can do something to help the Gorons in the mine too, can't you, Link?" He nodded as Colin smiled before dropping unconscious as Amok spoke.

"He wore himself out just to get a point understood in his vision." The kids crowd as Talo made to lift Colin in vain before Renado walked over and lifted the unconscious boy in his arms as he nodded to Link as Amok joined his side as the shaman ferried Colin to the sanctuary first to further tend to the wounds while the children followed him, Talo looking back now and then before the pair turned to the glowing red of Death Mountain as Link spoke.

"We have the Boots, we can stop those Gorons from knocking us back."

"Indeed, but I suggest that we get you a new shield, the mine could be filled with fiery enemies, your wooden shield would burn first before long." Link nodded as Malo actually cleared up the shop a bit and was even giving a Hylian Shield for a price, Rupees no means short as they headed up the trail for the ascend upwards...

* * *

Link scaled the rope mesh first and walked forward a bit before the Goron on watch exclaimed. "Ho! You are back, human? You will never pass! You cannot hope to match our brute force!" He curled up in a ball and rolled for Link as he leapt up and somehow got the Iron Boots on as he spoke.

"Bring it!" He grunted as the Goron slammed into him, but he smiled as he stopped inches from the edge as he shouted. "Take your pride and go down to the town!" He hurled the Goron off the mountain as he nodded with a smirk, Amok slightly frowning just for the fact that he nearly got knocked down by a hurled Goron ball, but their task was done for now, they had taken the first steps up Death Mountain. They continued up the trail and threw the Gorons that charged them behind, Amok no better as he mustered the winds and forced the Gorons to the sides if they came for him, the pair also dealing with a few more of those green-skinned monsters that attacked them at the spring and on the field, allowing Amok to finally figure out what they were.

"Well, I'll be... It's a Bulbin." They rested for a bit as Amok pulled out a book, turning through the pages as he spoke. "These creatures are a recent evolution from the usual Bokoblins as they had formed large communities and are often found among the field of Eldin and even the neighboring province of Lanaryu, but I think this is the first time that they have ever been hostile, mostly they keep to themselves in the large caverns dug out, coming out daily for hunting or salvaging."

"Which explains the weathered battlefield." Link spoke as Amok nodded as he continued to read.

"What I don't see or understand is their sudden change, their Bullbos mounts have been located elsewhere in Hyrule and I don't understand how they managed to get such a powerful creature into their hands again, especially with how that blue one was full of rage for you." Link didn't want to think about that as Amok closed his book with a hum. "I guess we can find out later, that dark power is not going to capture itself." They got back up and continued on to the main area, their approach not unnoticed as they spotted two Goron high up spotting them and briefly heard the second Goron shout 'Inform the Chief, quick!' before rolling up and lunching the first up to where the main hall must be before they headed down to force the Gorons below them to launch them upward, but their task was made a bit tougher when brimstone and flaming rock fell from the sky, the mountain itself erupting before they quickly dodged out of the way when a titanic piece of blazing rock crashed into the ground as Midna reappeared, surprised.

"Whoa... That looks dangerous..." She continued with a muse. "Is this the traditional Death Mountain welcome?" She chuckled as both shook their heads before they headed onward to see what they could do. As it turned out, they didn't need to worry about hurting any of the Gorons as their hide is so tough that it would take a full-on blast of something to even hurt them as Link's blade easily spooked them into curling up when they were caught off guard and a good splash of water magic did the same trick as they headed on, Link hurling two more Gorons down before they quickly made it to the top and headed in, the Iron Boots making Link sluggish, but they needed to worry about that later because, once they headed, they were confronted with six Gorons that all curled up and rolled toward them, their odds not likely when a gruff voice called out.

"ENOUGH!" The charge stopped and they uncurled as they looked to the back, two Gorons standing like guards before taking to the sides as a shorter Goron came out of the tunnel behind them as he lectured them. "Are these young ones such an imposing enemy that you must all gang up on them? I think not, Little Brothers." They parted as both Amok and Link approached the elder with ease, surprising with the Boots on as he spoke. "I am a Goron elder, little humans. I am called Gor Coron." Both nodded as Coron continued. "Because of certain... circumstances, I must lead the Goron tribe in place of Darbus, our tribal patriarch." That sounded important indeed, if the tribal patriarch was missing or in trouble, then it was logical that they would seal the mountain off to everyone until they can clear up the trouble, but that was prideful, they could have used the help from Kakariko, even in the slightest. "Tell me, little humans, do you come from the village below?"

"In essence, Gor Coron, we are from the village below." Link nearly voiced otherwise, but stopped and nodded as it was apparent that maybe, the Goron tribe have never seen or heard of the other villages or towns, Kakariko was their only example in a way, unless they prove otherwise in some form.

"You have done well to come this far. You are strong... for humans." The slight smile faded as Gor Coron continued. "However..." He crossed his arms for the next part. "The mines beyond here are sacred to my tribe. Outsiders are not allowed. Unless..." Both readied for what he was going to say before he smiled and finished. "I could make an exception... but you would have to beat me in a contest of power. Are you willing to try that, little humans?" Link breathed before he answered.

"I will take that challenge." Amok nodded as he stepped back as Gor Coron answered.

"Very well, little human, face me in the ring!" In the center was a sumo ring which neither of them actually fully noticed in the short chaos, but Link scaled up with Coron as the Goron's back was to the tunnel and his back to the entrance, both stomping before getting into stance before Amok spoke.

"Fight!" They circled and swung at the other, Link had to think swiftly and exact to best the Goron, his hits and push were like nothing Bo could show off, but he was not so moved as he used both his skills of speed and the Iron Boots to good advantage, the Goron made for the brute force, but his weight also was his downfall as Link pushed and shoved, forcing the Elder back before it fell into exchanging blows, even nearly getting thrown out when he missed a grab and the Elder moved to the side to then push him, the space lost before Link forced it back and ducked under to push, shoving Coron out and dusting his hands as the Elder spoke in amaze, the same that filled the Gorons that watched it.

"Young warrior... You have a strong will... and sharp eyes." He got up from the ground as he spoke. "Fine traits... Want to see how well you can use them?"

"Sir, what do you fully mean?" Amok asked as Link joined him and Coron walked to the stairway toward the tunnel before addressing them.

"You both have seen it, I would bet... The mountain, erupting without pause..." Link asked the troubling question.

"Is the mountain not meant to be erupting?" Coron shook his head as he explained.

"When the mountain began to rage, all four of us elders and Darbus, out patriarch, went inside to investigate its anger. We have a treasure that was entrusted to us by the spirits, and we must protect it. Do you understand?" Both nodded as Coron took on a morbid tone. "But the moment Darbus reached out and touched the treasure... everything went wrong."

"What happened!?"

"He collapsed... and before our very eyes, transformed into an unspeakable monster!" That didn't sound good, but it was good, if any of the humans came to help, they could have been killed or worse. "He began to rage through the mines, trailing ruin behind him... and the eruptions grew more frequent and more severe." He shook his head as he pressed on. "We used all of our strength to seal him deep inside the mountain... It... grieved us to do this to our patriarch... but we had no other course of action."

Amok hummed as he crossed his arms. "So, this is a favor, you want us to save the patriarch." Gor nodded as Amok breathed and nodded with Link. "We would be honored to aid you in your time of crisis." The elder nodded before he shouted, looking to the guarding Gorons.

"...You two! Let the young warriors pass." They parted and the pair headed down into the tunnels, into the mines where the Patriarch raged...

* * *

The mines were boiling hot, but they pressed on through the maze of steel and rock, Getting to the center of the mountain with more machines and devices reside, but they also faced off with more Bulbins, the likeliness of them emerging from the caves was there, but it still was in the same range as anything else as they continued, facing off with some Dondongos and slipping right past a self-closing wall, soon getting across through magnetized Iron Boots to the relief of a near-drowning Link and a wind-aided Amok before they entered the next room, it not quite like the mountain as it was a small hut and in the mid was a Goron, steam venting out of his back like he was an active mountain before he spoke to their approach. "Ah... I thought I felt a presence... but what a surprise to find a pair of young humans..." The old Goron spoke as he explained. "Word has come to me of you... and if Gor Coron has faith in you, then your hearts must be true."

"They are, but can we ask who you are?" Amok pointed out as the Goron nodded.

"...I am one of the four Goron elders. Gor Amoto is my name." They nodded as Amoto continued. "You are heroic, young humans. Please, you must lend this tribe your power." He then gave them a strange piece, like it was something else at one point. "That is one of the key shards that, when merged together, form the key to the room where Darbus is being held. He is our patriarch. The key is split into three pieces. Each of us elders keeps a piece." He waved his stick at them as he spoke with volume. "You must hurry to the other elders!"

"Will do, Amoto." Amok answered as they headed onward, grabbing the strange bird-thing of Ooccoo again since she either followed them or got trapped in the mines like she did in the forest temple. They pressed on through against spider-like monsters in a underground or reserve source of water before emerging in daylight again, this time was a small Bulbin encampment, the threat was real as they didn't have too many tools to take down the archers, but they quickly snatched the small key and unlocked the next place to go to, some error as they needed to use the Iron Boots to keep from falling off a rotating platform before they found the next elder.

He was not that good-looking, but the Goron possessed a similar aura to Amoto and Coron as the elder spoke. "Oh... Ah... The young humans. I am pleased to see you make it this far, Brudda..." The last word must have been brother, but neither could understand it with how it was said. "I am one of the four elders of the Goron tribe. I am called Gor Ebizo." The Goron held its pipe as he continued. "You have heard of the plight of our patriarch. Otherwise, you would not have come to see me. Here, take this, Brudda..." Ebizo handed them the second piece of the key before he explained about a helpful tool. "There is something that may help you... A weapon said to have been left in this mine by a hero of old." That sounded like something that could help them in the long run if it was an important weapon. "It is beyond price, and so we have protected it through generations... Now, when our tribe balances on the brink of ruin, it could aid in our salvation." He pointed above, likely to another doorway. "The Hero's weapon is stored safety up ahead... Talk to the guard and take it with you, with the blessing of the Gorons."

"I don't want to say it, but..." Amok started as they were leaving, the door exiting back to the previous room with a magnetic veil exposed for them to use in own to get to the next chamber. "Likely that the guard will judge us to be hostile?"

"If we explain it out, he will let us take the weapon, we have the permission from Ebizo and the word of both Coron and Amoto with us, we'll be fine."

"I wish that I share in that belief." Amok spoke as they headed over and Link opened it, Amok following before the way was sealed shut with a iron bar setup and across the way was a Goron, larger than the others that got up in exclaim.

"Whoa... Humans?!" The Goron then started to grind a pair of knuckle bracers as plates of metal coated the upper section like the arms and shoulders with a helm. "What business does a human have coming here?! None! No business!"

"I think we overstepped ourselves, Link." Amok remained a few feet from his friend to keep him covered. "Either he is going to let us speak or..."

"This is a forbidden place! I will protect this treasure from you!" He leapt and slammed into the platform, the chains shattering as the whole thing dropped, Amok still on the solid ground, but Link fell with the Goron on the platform.

"Link"

"I'm fine!" Link grimaced as the flooring was that magnetic stuff and the Goron was huge as he drew his weapons. "We need to know some sense into him!"

"Well, do that!" Amok looked for a way to cross, but the air was too heated and he couldn't use any fire to cross, that would burn him. "I can't use my power, this area is too heated for me!"

"Stay back then!" Link shouted as he dodged under the Goron's swing and forced him to curl up, just as he donned the Iron Boots and hurled the rock being into the lava. "I'll handle this problem alone, just cover the entrance!"

Right!" Amok rushed back to the door and breathed a bit easier as he collected from it some while Link fended the Goron off. He dodged some as the Goron made several more attacks on the green-garbed youth before curling up again and rolling, Link hurling him again before he shouted.

"You have run out of time and I have run out of patience!" He leapt to smash Link who slipped under and stayed low as the Goron swung about before he tried for another punch, only to be forced to curl up again and fall for the same trick, bouncing on the lava before flying back onto the platform, this time without the helm that flew into the lava as he got up and groaned. "Ugh... That...hurt a lot." The Goron moaned as he sat there. "Who knew that humans were capable of such feats of strength..." He stood up and pondered before he asked. "Uh... Maybe... you are... going to see the patriarch of our tribe?"

"Yes, my ally and I were going to find Darbus at the behest of Coron, Ebizo sent us here and we have Amoto's piece as well." Link spoke as the Goron let out an loud 'ohh'.

"So THAT is why you are here!" The Goron nodded as he continued. "In that case, take the weapon of the Hero of the past... But in exchange, you must save the patriarch of our tribe!" The Lava flow rose, lifting the platform back to its last place as Link asked.

"So, did you hear us when we were speaking?"

"Actually, I often did battle with my armor on, but with the helmet, it makes it impossible to hear anything, it blocks out my hearing." The Goron answered as Amok came over as the rock being continued. "My name is Dangoro, and with skills like yours, even the patriarch can be brought back to his senses..." He pointed to the door that he had guarded. "Take the Hero's weapon and save our patriarch!"

"We will not fail your people, we will succeed." Link answered as the duo headed past and into the room, obtaining the Hero's Bow, its grip and frame... a comforting touch to him as he primed and fired to lower the way, Beamos bar the chamber ahead, but with Link's sudden ability of marksmanship with the bow, they destroyed the statues and soon found the final elder, he looking a bit thin, but he also gave off a true sense of wisdom, like he knew what was going to happen or occur later.

"Ah! You are here at last!" The dark-skinned Goron spoke as he stood up. "I am Gor Liggs and I heard that you might pay a visit, young humans. I am farsighted in all things." He extended out a hand and Amok took the object, the final piece as he spoke. "Here you go... the last key shard! Combine all three shards!" Amok walked over to Link as he extended his piece and Link pulled out the other two and, like magic, the pieces fused into one through the magnetic power that filled the mines, making the key needed to find and save Darbus. "If you use that key, you can open the room where Darbus, the tribal patriarch, is being held. Who knows how powerful Darbus is in his new grotesque form..." Liggs nodded as he continued. "But I suppose I should trust your power, considering you came this far..." He pointed back to the way. "Hurry, now! To the patriarch's room!" Both nodded as they headed out, the only other place that could be the way to the patriarch must be through the Bulbin's encampment.

They were not disappointed as more Bulbins arrived to stop them, but they were not swayed as they opened another pathway and activated another switch that lead them to the next chamber, it proving that something else was behind the events as Bulbins had set up to attack anyone that dared to come. Link sniped the archers and the front line, cutting the line for a horde of them to charge at them, only to face Amok's power over the molten rock, focusing on the fire element within to surge over them and cleared the pat before they approached the door and opened it, both entering a darkened room as the way closed and they approached what must have been Darbus.

Towering over them with slow breathing to show life stood a blackened monster with some form of headgear atop or is its face now as it was chained to the ceiling before the head jewel pulsed like an eye and glowed orange, the face alight with two mindless pupils before it roared at them, drawing close before pulling back, shaking its wrists to the chains before it truly reveled in its rage, flames blazing through its whole body before it ripped the chains form the ceiling and roared again, the monster knew as Fyrus intent on destroying them.

They had to act quickly as Link drew the bow as Fyrus charged for them, only to suffer an arrow to the jewel, it having an adverse effect on the titan as it stumbled about in pain, blinded to the moment when Link donned the Boots again and pulled, tripping the beast before they wailed on the jewel, it must have been the source of power for the possessed creature as they repeated it once more before Link, after the third time, plunged his sword with a ending blow and both backed as Fyrus wildly swung before the jewel erupted, leaving a Heart Container and the darkness disbursing from the patriarch, collecting above them to form a second piece and it was hard not to think that Midna's little head piece was not involved as she praised their efforts with a chuckle. "Well done!" She took the piece off Link's hands as she mused. "Now we have two Fused Shadows..." She hummed before she continued. "You know, you've both been very helpful so far, so as a reward, I'll tell you an interesting story." The mood darkened as she mutter one word. "Zant." Whatever it was, it felt... terrible, like something about it was wrong. "That's the name of the King of Darkness who cast this pall of shadows over your world. He's very strong. You would be nothing to him in your current states..." She hissed as she continued the rest of the tale, and add insult to the Royal Family. "But Zant will never be my king! I have nothing but scorn for his supposed strength. Not that your Zelda is much better..."

"Why you...!" Amok stopped Link short as he shook his head as Midna was in her own tandem of rant.

"It still appalls me that this world of light is controlled by that princess. A carefree youth, a life of luxury... How does that teach duty?" The hand returned to its ponytail form as she turned in her shadowy shape. "...But I guess I shouldn't begrudge her the circumstances of her life. She didn't choose it, after all. And I would never wish harm on her..." She held a fire against something else as she finished. "No, as long as I can get my hands on the Fused Shadows, I'll be just fine." She created the portal out and they first made to converse with the patriarch who, for good reason, was now in the process of a splitting headache, so they departed, leaving the mines behind and to learn where to go next for the Fused Shadows, the final piece of the collection...


	8. Chapter VIII - 8

Returning once more to the Spring of Eldin, the light spirit spoke to them. "Heroic Link... Wise Amok..." The spirit's voice bellowed across the water as it continued. "North of here, across the plain and past the great stone bridge, in the lands guarded by the spirit Lanayru... You shall find the one who you seek..." And the spirit fell into slumber as Link paused before he looked to the side, the children with Renado and Luda at the chapel standing there as one spoke.

"Link..." Colin stumbled forward before he near collapse, Link rushing over and resting his hands to Colin's shoulders while Amok walked to his side as Colin collected himself and spoke. "Ilia..." He looked up and pleaded. "You've got to save Ilia!"

"Colin, you need to..." But Amok was cut off as Colin continued.

"Those monsters left me with the other kids, but they must have taken her somewhere else!" That was the first piece of news that was good, if the Bulbins had taken her, then they had to have hidden her somewhere in Eldin or Lanayru and, considering the last piece of Twilight, Lanayru was a good start. "Whenever I thought I couldn't go on, I would think of you and Illa and hold on, Link..." With that, he made to stand, Link just on the wait as Colin spoke again, he standing up right now. "See? I... I'm fine now." Link was a bit in shock before he smiled.

"Yes, Colin, you are fine now." He stood up as Colin spoke again.

"Remember what I told you back in Ordon, Link?" He recalled that short chat, freeing the way from Talo and his guard, as he continued. "So you don't have to worry about me anymore! Go help Ilia!"

"Leave the children to me." Renado spoke as he walked over. "I will watch over them, I swear it." The man looked at the two of them as he continued. "Do not let their fates trouble you. Go to those who need you." Link nodded as Renado continued. "In Hyrule, countless tales are told of the ancient hero... and your deeds bring them all to mind." He raised a sleeved arm as he sent the two on their way. "May the graces of the great goddesses who shaped Hyrule bear you on your way." And he bowed with his daughter, Talo and Beth bowing as well, just lower as Link took on a face of determination as he vowed.

"I will not let the goddesses down, may they too watch over all of you." With that, They helped out some around the town, obtaining some Bombs form Barnes and heading out, the ride out rather troubled by the falling of night and the attacks of large-bird thing called Kargaroks and strange plant monsters that burrowed form the ground. They wasted little time in getting across the bridge that Renado spoke of, it was, after all, the same bridge that Link faced that chief Bulbin on and they spotted a blockage of rocks in their path.

"First obstacle to Lanayru..." Amok mused as they got off Epona. "I think we should bomb this, this messes with travelers and the like."

"No problem!" Link answered as he pulled free a bomb and lit it, backing up as it exploded, clearing the way, but that was not a issue, when suddenly, a portal of Twilight emerged from the sky and blasted the bridge, ripping a piece of the bridge before dropping Shadow Beasts, the duo clearing the mob and freeing the portal for their use, if they return, before they continued on into the long passages of stone and rock where several Bulbins came out to fight and cut down just the same as they arrived to the way into Twilight as Midna mused with her own appearance.

"Ah, we're finally here. There's only one Fused Shadow left... So this is the last of the twilight you'll see, I guess." She shrugged as she continued. "Whether or not you both accomplish your final task and survive is up to you..." She chuckled before asking what they were going to do. As much as Link was irked by Midna, he only saw one way and Amok agreed with him as they approached the Twilight and let themselves be taking into the dark realm beyond...

* * *

Link got up and changed into his wolf form as he huffed. "Here we go again." That followed with an accompanying imp as she mused.

"All right then, I guess I'll have to help you two!" She moaned as she spoke. "But what a shame that this is the last of the twilight... I had become so fond of seeing it covering this world..." She hummed with some form of glee as she spoke. "Or... is it really the last you'll see?" She chuckled as she motioned them on, Link pausing as he had yet to see Amok in his hawk form before he turned, agape at what was happening, even Midna who was going bug-eyed.

Amok, groaned aloud as his body was covered by twilight before he grew and grew until he took to the sky and let out a bellowing call and flap, his form not a Hawk anymore, but that of a Kargarok, the difference being both his larger size to those that they faced and his head to tail, blue instead of red, a mount on his back just the size of Midna, and a barbed tail as he landed and panted. "Ugh... Reminds me of that one time when we just ate and ate back at Ordon, ooohh..." Link trotted over and Amok rose as he breathed. "I think that getting the second Fused Shadow must have changed me greatly, I guess NOW you can, in fact, dump Link, Midna."

"Ah, I wouldn't say that. I could never deal with such a mouthy bird like you." Midna hummed as she laid on the wolf. "Besides, he is the 'hero', you are just a guy with magic."

"Makes sense." Amok took flight once more, stable now as he called. "I'll clear the path some, you just focus on getting through."

"Well do, Amok!" The Kargarok flew true and smashed the Shadow Keeses that came before Link stopped, a pouch on the ground before he went up to it and smelled it up, it was very familiar as the words formed in his mind.

_"But, Link... Can you at least promise me this? Just come home safely."_ Link raised his head as he exclaimed.

"Ilia!" Ilia was here, she was! Midna mused the same as she spoke.

"You smell the girl, don't you? I can tell by the look on your face." Link nodded as Amok circled and landed as Midna continued. "Well, good. It's another clue, then." She hummed with a morbid thought. "But this scent could be quite old... I wonder if she is still all right?" She chuckled as Amok spoke.

"Don't mind her, Ilia's pouch being here means that we will find her in Lanayru. We should keep going and follow the scent, we may find out more as we go."

"...You're right, Amok." Link answered in their animal speech. "Let's keep going." They took off once more and through the passage of stone before Amok shouted.

"We are coming to a clearing, I see a castle in the far distance!"

"A castle...?" Link picked up the pace and emerged from the way to see the towering structure across the way, its towers a reminder of something else.

"Hey, haven't we seen this castle before?" Midna chuckled as she further mused. "So, we finally made it back here! Well, only a little farther, so hang in there! Or so I'd like to say, but..." Midna answered with some focus on their mission. "The going's a lot harder from here on out..." She chuckled again as Link lead the way, Amok doing his best to keep up, but his larger size made him sluggish and about average speed to Link's incredible speed, but he was not put out about it as he soared, the trio dealing with more of those shadow creatures, likely Bulbins that preserved in the Twilight, and headed into Castle Town.

Souls and spirits roamed the ways as Link continued to follow his nose, heading for the east side before going down through the alley and into a dead end where a place was wide open to them, the sign out front reading 'Telma's Bar' and it was open as Link pushed the door open and headed in, Amok groaning before he darkened and shrunk, turning back into his Hawk self and landing on Link's head as they headed in.

The place was not too shabby, but the real relief was the appearance of Illa being there, but she looked more upset as she and an older woman peered over a fish-like creature that panted before them, Amok humming as Ilia spoke in plead.

"This boy... Can you save him?!"

"All right, little lady, try to settle down, OK?! I just now sent for the doctor!" The older woman mused, her appearance giving off a different vibe from the Hylians that roamed on the streets. "But this is strange... A child of the Zoras..." She hummed as she glanced to the back of the bar. "I wonder if this is all related to the incident the soldiers were talking about in the back..." Link let his senses drop as Midna cooed.

"Aw, what an emotional reunion! Yes, a girl and her wolf!" She chuckled, actually giggled, but Amok didn't really wish to change it yet. "Sorry, but you know how it goes! These folks can't see you, either..." She chuckled all the same as they turned to the back.

Standing in line were a band of soldiers, but the issue was clear as the lead spoke. "We've had a ton of complaints from citizens who can't send prayers to the spring spirit of Lake Hylia. Go there! The location is the one I showed you on the map earlier! Got it?!" The trio before him shook their heads before the lead huffed and demanded them to study it, the trio of dwellers in twilight looked it over as Amok mused.

"That explains the chatter, the people were getting upset with how Lake Hylia was not producing as much water nowadays, but to think that something has indeed happened there." Amok bounced onto the table and tapped on the map, pointing out the spot that they need to check. "The light spirit must be here, so we should check it out."

"Okay, Amok, but get off the table, the guards may get a bit scared and cause a scene if you keep doing that." Amok looked down and looked with his senses to see one of the guards glancing over in fear at the likely growing hole in the table as Link continued. "You already messed with Barnes, so leave the guards alone."

"Alright." Amok spoke as he jumped back onto Link. "He's lucky that we have more pressing matters to attend to." Link nodded as they headed out, going to the Great Bridge of Hylia and nearly heading across when Amok sqwarked. "Stop!" The trio came to a stop as Amok flew some before he righted and landed on a cart, looking it over before he spoke. "This was used recently, one of the wheels is busted on purpose."

"So...?" Midna mused as she reached and yawned. "Anyone could have done that, its just a cart."

"Then why are there no spirits about?" Link followed the thought as it suddenly seemed odd that someone would leave a cart like this and just go elsewhere without getting it back to town or something. Midna motioned otherwise as she pulled on Link's ear.

"Stop gawking, we have a Fused Shadow to find, Amok is just making things up, let's go!" She released as Link headed down the bridge, something off before they made it halfway before Midna spoke. "...Hey, do you smell anything funny?" Link took that moment to sniff, stopping and growling.

"... A trap..." On the other side, a Shadow Bulbin appear and primed an arrow before aiming high, Link following the arc before it crushed... right at the entrance of the bridge and the black residue caught fire and blazed right for them, Link whipping about to charge the guy, but it fired another and suddenly, the path was closed, they were caught in a pincer attack of blazing flames as Midna moaned in worry.

"Oh no! We're trapped! Get out of here!" Midna moaned as Link pushed some crates to the sides, his plan to scale and jump. "Why did I think Amok was bluffing, we so own him for his warning!" Link scaled as Midna shouted. "Link, before we die, I just want to say I've always sort of liked you!" Link then jumped, off the bridge into the lake below...

* * *

Midna's scream was the only thing that Link heard as they dropped, silenced by the deep water before they surfaced and Midna breathed in relief, holding on to Link's fur. "Phew... That was a close one. We're lucky there was a puddle down below, huh?" Midna got up as she looked around. "So this is Lake Hylia... But there's so little water..." She looked around a bit more as she mused. "It sounds like the spirit's spring should be somewhere about here as well... anyway, let's take a look around..." Link nodded, his voice not finding purchase as Amok was the translator in a way, as he swan over to the bank, finding more of the strange fish people called the Zora who grimaced how Lake Hylia was drying faster than predicted, even saying that the source in their home, Zora's Domain, must have be tampered or messed with. They headed up to a chunky man as he mused with a frown.

"I'm too old for this..." He mused to himself how it went. "Fyer and Falbi's Watertop Land of Fantastication... It's our grand reopening at our new lake-bottom location... Whee." He huffed as he pressed on. "Yeah, nice lake... Don't lakes have more... I don't know... water?" He glanced to the distant cliff in his ramble. "Did the Zora who live upriver do something?" He then glanced to a place under the bridge itself. "Or is it a curse from that spirit that floats around up there?" He huffed as he spoke. "Whatever. It's not like I can go up and complain... That's way too high." He paused before peering into the distance in confusion. "Whuzzat, a customer?!" Link whipped and he was sure that he didn't need to smell to know the trouble, it was a Shadow Bulbin, its scent like the one on the bridge, this one must have been the partner in crime as the old man yelped. "YIKES! IT'S A MONSTER!"

"Not for long..." Link bolted over and growled as the Bulbin spotted him then turned to the Hawk Grass before rushing over and plucking it, playing its music into the air, the sound of heavy wings flapping came closer and a larger beast that must have been a Shadow Kargarok arrived and the monster mounted up as that gave distance and trouble for Link before a voice called out.

"RADIANT VISION!" Suddenly, a beam of light shot from the sky and lanced through both as both fell to the ground and vanished like they do as Link and Midna looked up to another flapping monster, a friendly one. "I hope that I was not too late to throw in my own input."

"AMOK!" Midna zoomed up to him and hugged his face as he dropped to the ground. "Oh, Amok, I am not doubting you again!"

"It's good that you were not caught in that crossfire, we briefly thought that you were cooked from the attack."

"Please, like a little fire can actually hurt me..." Amok answered as he continued. "Still, I should have explained it out, and with that attack through some gallons of oil, it was a costly one for whoever was behind that attack."

"Good, but first..." Link looked to the cliff that must lead to Zora's Domain. "Can you fly all of us up that canyon to find the Zora's Domain, the water source of Hylia is up there." Amok looked up and mused.

"Sure, better that I have real training as a monstrous bird than no training and we get into a fight." Both nodded as Midna leapt on and Amok yelped. "Whoa, now I see what Link deals with often, I am going to be weirded a bit more before this is done." Amok shook it off as he plucked Link into his grip and flew. "Hold on tight, this could be a bumpy ride." Amok flew in and kept on the path, but it was made harder with Shadow Bulbins launching Bomb Arrows and breaking several stone pillars and stalagmites to knock them down or crush them, but Amok proved better as Midna yelped and Link grimaced the near misses that Amok performed against. They arrived to the top and Amok released as he looped and changed back as Midna rubbed his head.

"Thanks so much for getting us this far, we couldn't have done it without you."

"Well, it is the least I could do for us." He looked about as he hummed. "So then... the village should be around here somewhere, let's go looking for it." Midna shivered as she nestled into Link's fur.

"It's getting cold... Hurry up!" They headed on as Link commented.

"This is ice...?" The wolf hummed as he slid a bit on the material. "I have never really have seen ice in such great amount like this, the most would be the river at Ordon."

"Strange..." Amok hummed as Midna continued to snuggle in the wolf fur. "What sort of presence could have done this...?" They pressed on before they arrived to a massive pillar of ice, coming from the top of what should be a waterfall as Midna questioned from her warm pelt.

"Oh... Hey... What's going on here?" Midna mumbled as she continued. "I thought it was getting colder... but who would have thought that it would all be frozen?! This is the Zora village, right? Why don't I see any, then..." She was right as the only Zoras so far were looking over the state of the dying Lake Hylia and the wounded child. "Well... Anyway, let's check things out." Midna mused as she continued. "Let's find the Zoras..." They headed through ice-filled realm, unsure of what could have happened to the Zoras to have cause this tragedy, but they needed to find out for the sake of their mission and for Lake Hylia too. They reached some form of throne room at the top and confronted more Shadow Beasts, Amok remarking that their auras were strange, like they were blessed or cursed to possess an icy power, the pieces falling into place as Midna too thought about it, Zant would willingly freeze the Zora's Domain, would rob the people and homes of their water for what...?

They pushed it to the side as they cleared out the Shadow Beasts and opened another portal. "A portal has opened here, too! We can finally warp." The trio looked if they could find anything that could point them in the direction of the Zoras, but nothing, Amok actually figuring it out as he yelped.

"Link! Down below! Under the ice!" Link whipped and engaged his senses, the sight to greet them was a shock. Frozen under the ice, bound for combat they would never see were the Zoras, motionless to anything and bound to the curse placed on the domain as Midna drew back in shock, she must have never seen anything like this.

"Those... Those are the Zoras!" She shook her head as she continued. "Wow... This is really strange... What in the world happened?" She turned to her aides. "Hey... What do you want to do? We can't just leave them like this..." She hummed as she put the thought into action with Amok, Link still in relative shock at how someone could do this. "I think all we need to do is thaw them out... It does us no good to just stand here thinking... Let's leave and come back later." With the portal now working for them, they needed to find a way to thaw the Zoras out and soon, or else Lake Hylia will be completely dried up and all of Hyrule will suffer for it.

Amok stopped before he answered with the way that they could reverse this. "I think I know a way to get the Zoras free, but we are going to have to head back to Eldin, I'm just hoping that we was not too late right now." Midna nodded as she mustered the portal to take them to Eldin, more specifically to Death Mountain...


	9. Chapter IX - 9

As it turned out, no one among the Gorons took notice of them, which was weird as they arrived in darkness and plucked a STILL VOLCANIC ROCK from the ground and dropped it right into Zora's Domain, the intense heat really melting through the frigid ice.

The water, in turn, blazed through and melted through the ice as the trio reappeared back to the Domain, on dry ground, as Midna mused while the Zoras collected themselves. "Who knew that something so dangerous would come in handy..." Link barked in acknowledgement as Midna pressed on. "All right... The Zoras are safe now, so let's go."

"With this, we must have refilled Lake Hylia to the brim, we must now be able to meet with the light spirit now." Amok continued the thought as Link nodded and they turned to leave before a voice called out.

"Wait!" The trio jumped as Amok yelped.

"Who just...!?" In the air over the spring, formed a spirit, its body that of the Zora with a regal, but sorrowful aura as Amok grimaced. "A spirit unbound to Twilight...? Is she... dead?" The spirit continued.

"Please, you must allow me to thank you for revitalizing both my people and this spring, which is the water source for all the lands of Hyrule." It raised a hand to its chest as it continued. "In life, I was the elder of this Zora village and the queen of my people. I was called Rutela." Link approached as Midna yawned and answered.

"Not to be rude, but we didn't exactly do it for you guys..."

"Midna... be civil for a bit." Amok spoke as they turned back to Rutela as she spoke.

"The dark ones... They raided this village and, as a message to my people, executed me before them."

"And they were the ones to bring this plight of ice on your home?" Rutela nodded to Amok as she spoke.

"Young men... You who take the forms of a proud beast and noble avian... I have something to ask of you." Both listened as the spirit continued. "When the dark ones descended upon our village, I sent my young one, Ralis, to Hyrule Castle to inform Princess Zelda of our fate. But... I fear danger followed him from this doomed place. I feel it. His presence grows fainter to me over time... But my time in this world has passed, and though I would give it gladly, I no longer have a life to risk in his rescue. Please... Would you save my dearest, Prince Ralis? If you do this thing, I will bestow upon you the protection of water. This power will grant you the ability and respire in very deep water as if you were Zora." She started to fade as she made her last plea. "Please... Save my son..." And like that, she disappeared as Midna hummed before she spoke.

"So, if we help her, she'll grant you two the power to swim in deep water like Zoras, huh?" She smiled as she tapped on the wolf. "So... What do you say, Hero?"

"You do realize that we can't go meet the Prince as animals, correct?" Amok asked and Midna just grinned as he shook his head. "Humorous as always, Midna." They headed out of the throne room as Midna commented to the falling rain.

"Looks like the shock of that impact not only raised the water level, but sped up the flow, too... This water should flow all the way down to the lake. Why don't we let it take us there?" Link jumped in as Amok took flight and shook his head.

"I could have carried all of us..." He watched as Link disappeared to the current and down the river. "Ah well, I'll meet up with them at the shrine." He changed forms and flew, heading for the Lake and to see the effects of dropping a molten fragment of Death Mountain on the Lake...

* * *

In hindsight, going down a torrent river was one of the worse ways to go as Link felt his body slam into something and he got up after a moment, his body landing in first of what must be the spirit shrine as Midna floated a bit as she lectured. "Ugh... Aren't you awake yet?" Link could have remarked, but it was still in the realm of question whether Midna understood him or not. "Look! We got washed all the way down to Lake Hylia, just as I predicted..." Link shook himself off as he stepped out of the water. "And it looks like we're right in front of the spirit's spring, to boot. Talk about lucky..." She motioned him to follow. "Well, let's go! Snap out of it and get to the spirit!" Link nodded as Midna mounted up again, the sound of leathery wings beating in the air before Amok arrived and turned back, still finding the time to perch on Link's head.

"Let's see where we need to go for the light." They headed in and approached the weakened spirit as it spoke.

"I am... the last of the spirits of light... consumed... by twilight... Hero and Seer... Chosen ones of the gods... You have... done well to make it this far..." They looked at each other as the light spirit pressed on. "Gather... my scattered Tears of Light... that were stolen by shadow... Gather them... in this..." With that, they were given the Vessel of Light and sent to find the Tears that roamed the area. They cleared the ones found in Lake Hylia, even opening another portal before they headed up river through the Amok Kargarok, more bugs to smash through the tunnel before they reached Upper Zora's River where they found more before they stopped, Link looking over to the ridge where two souls were lingering before he turned back to the stone before him, the Howling Stone.

"Are you ready?"

"I don't really have a problem with it." Link started to howl and both were transported back to the strange realm, Link repeating the song with Amok whistling to it as well, the melody ancient, perhaps that to lay to rest those wandering spirits that could never easily find rest, but Amok felt it was also to lead someone through a wide spread of sand, a desert, but why would that thought enter his mind as the golden wolf spoke.

"Let teachings of old pass to you... Take sword in hand and find me..." With that, the wolf jumped and they returned, the location engraved into their minds that the wolf would be waiting for them near the entrance of Castle Town, before they checked the spirits, Zoras who pondered where Prince Ralis went, the only waterway to Hyrule Castle right there. They took off while the party searched the Domain for the bugs before heading for Castle Town, confronting more of the Shadow Beasts before finding the second to last bug in the alley of the bar before Midna questioned.

"Hey! What's going on?" Focusing inward, they brought up the map in their minds as Midna questioned. "There should be one more... Where could the last tear be?" Suddenly, it appeared... right in Lake Hylia which was strange as Midna exclaimed. "What!? There it is... What's going on? This is weird..."

"Indeed..." Amok spoke as he thought about it. "Why did it not show itself prior, why does it now reveal itself to us...?" The trio hummed before Midna warped them over to Lake Hylia and, in the distance, something BIG surged through the water among some debris and a storm thundered overhead as Midna grimaced.

"Guys, there's... something in there... what the heck is that!?"

"I don't know, but let's check it out, we need to." Amok took flight as his Kargarok form, lifting Link over and dropping him on some driftwood as Link growled.

"It's here...!" Something started to bubble up before something emerged, invisible to them before they turned on the senses, Midna screeching and the duo didn't blame her. The Shadow Bug was enormous, it was impossible NOT to miss it as this was not a Shadow Insect, it was a Twilt Bloat! Midna screeched to kill it quickly and the duo did so as Amok blasted the creature when the electric pulse emerged and Wolf bit into the monster easily once it was unprotected before he jumped on its underbelly and struck all of the tentacles it had, it curling up and dying with the last Tears emerging form the monster as Amok landed and spoke.

"Well, that was a bit over the top for a Tear holder, I would prefer to deal with the regular kind." He smirked as he turned to Midna as she grimaced. "But who would have thought... I guess even Twilight residents HATE large bugs."

"...I will crush you if YOU mention that to anyone!"

"I am just surprised you didn't punch a hole in it." Amok chuckled as Link collected the final Tear and they warped to the spirit...

* * *

The Vessel went in and cleared the Twilight before the Spirit emerged, a great serpent that coiled through the cavern before it looked to the now-human members after Midna reminded them to grab the last Fused Shadow. "My name is Lanayru. Your efforts have at last restored each of us light spirits in Hyrule." Both nodded as Lanayru continued. "O heroes, chosen by the gods... The dark power that you seek... It waits in a temple set in the bed of Lake Hylia." It held their attention as it continued. "...But before seeking it, you must now bear witness to something... and never forget it. You must know that it was the will of the goddesses that we lock away the forbidden power..." Link blanked out and found himself elsewhere as the spirit gave history of how Hyrule came to be and how it connected to the forbidden power now.

That the Goddesses made Hyrule and descended into a different place called the Sacred Realm and for a time, the people were content and enjoyed the peace. However, like the whispers of power, corruption found its way into the hearts of all, staging a great war in a land not united as a kingdom, likely centuries ago, and the more profound were a tribe of magic users that used their dark power to seek control over the Sacred Realm and the Treasures held within, that power became known as the Fused Shadows. On the behalf of the Goddesses, the Spirits intervened and sealed the power away, weakening the users while the Realm was sealed off by the sound of it.

It was the same power that the trio seek, the Fused Shadows, as the spirit warned not to believe in power for, before long, power will dominate them like it did the interlopers, Link snapping awake and falling to his knees in disbelief, the vision... it was terrible... as the Spirit of Lanayru spoke. "The dark power that you seek is within the sleeping Lakebed Temple in Lake Hylia..." Link breathed as Amok rested a hand on his shoulder before he spoke.

"You saw the same...?"

"Yes, it's power is intense." Amok answered as he let Link raise. "But it is not ours to handle, Midna appears to be fine holding the power and we accepted the choice to help her, now let's get back to Hyrule Castle, we need to find Ralis." Link nodded as they headed out, the pure blue sky and clear waters a relief for them before they spoke to the chunky man to get them topside, though a cannon was kinda of out there to start with, but it still worked as they headed for Castle Town, pausing to meet the golden wolf and learn what was next...

* * *

Link stirred in the white realm as the wolf panted before howling, the shade appearing again as it spoke. "We meet again. It appears you efforts have begun to return some vigor to Hyrule, but it is far too early to relax. Do you feel ready to earn another hidden skill to steel yourself for the forthcoming battles against more powerful foes?" Link answered that question.

"I am." The shade nodded before he mentored Link to repeat the Shield Attack, Link performing it with ease before the Shade spoke once more.

"Very well. My third hidden skill is... The back slice! Let it be hewn into your mind!" He lectured on how some foes will not be easy, repelling frontal attacks with ease, but their rear guard would be found lacking, so quickly rolling behind your foe and striking opens them all for attack, a method to trick your foe in focusing forward when one can strike form the rear once their attention is pulled, The shade displaying it with ease before Link attempted it himself, slipping behind from the right and striking, the Shade getting back up as it hummed. "You carry yourself well. But do not forget the proper timing for swinging your sword while you jump." The Shade straightened as he spoke. "The third hidden skill, the back slice, has been passed on!"

"Thank you!" Link performed it before sheathing his blade, feeling the power that welled before he turned to the ghastly ally.

"There are still four hidden skills for you to learn. Do not neglect your daily sword training between now and the time you come to learn the next skill!" The white started to fade as the Shade finished. "May we meet again." Link nodded as he felt a increase connection to the spirit as he returned...

* * *

Amok landed on his feet before he straightened up as he looked for the next, pausing before a rumbling filled the air before a rolling rock spun around him, he bracing before it stopped with a bounce and slammed, a Goron with some incredible stone hair as he turned, also must have been from a older generation as no clothes adorned unlike the recent Gorons. "Ah! Youngblood, how the mighty line of heroes has continued through your actions and my Sworn Brother's blood!"

"Um..." Amok started as he looked at the larger-than-life Goron, close to Darbus' size. "My apologies for asking, but who are...?"

"Oh! My mistake for talking first and not giving my name." The Goron answered. "I am Darunia, former Chieftain of the Goron Tribe and the Sage of Fire that resided in the world tainted by evil." The titan slammed into the snowy ground in a sit down, puffing up as he spoke. "First things first, I knew my Sworn Brother as a child when he arrived, soothing my rage with a song from the forests beyond, he asked for a stone entrusted to us, but another asked the same and his actions speak volumes, one sought power while another saved my tribe." The Goron rolled a wrist as he spoke on. "As much as I want to tell the story of his bravery, I will instead aid you to help the next, his line has been in better times and I pray that he remembers that and not linger in a lost faith." The power of fire, water, and wind grew stronger, like he could focus them into actual spells with form with the addition of the very stone under his feet, the raw power of 'Molten Punch' yet another spell with a method of strength. "It's strange... I remember my Brother once cared for a young dragon-ling, but the images switch often, what was the rumored monster of my home and who was the kind dragon...?" With that, Darunia faded away with a smile and Amok felt the light envelope him before he mused the same.

"...A dragon... his Sworn Brother...?"

* * *

Both roused themselves and headed into the city, it feeling much more cheerful now that water has returned to Hylia and, by extension, Hyrule. Link breathing as he spoke. "Are you sure that she will be glad to see us?"

"You're the one saying that, I don't know how she will reply to us." Amok followed through the group and continued. "Honestly, I wonder how she even ended up here to be more exact."

"You're right... it feels off..." Link mused as they continued, heading down into the back alley and to the bar where Link pushed the door open, his eyes adjusting to the shift as some cranky old voice yelled.

"That is a Zora child! This is beyond my expertise!" The voice scoffed and Link was slammed into, the two exchanging a glance with Link's surprise and the 'doctor's' frown before he huffed and headed out, slamming the door behind Amok as the pair watched the individual leave as another voice yelped.

"Doctor, wait!" Ilia dashed toward the door as she called out. "If something isn't done, this child will..." She moaned in sorrow as Link turned and gasped, his voice drawing her attention before it turned back down as Link nearly yelp.

"Ilia...!?" Amok rested a hand on Link's shoulder as he saw the same, she didn't know them as she walked over to the dying child, the owner's cat looking at them before it turned and got up as the woman spoke.

"Well, this isn't good. A human won't do, huh..." Ilia rested her face to her palms in grief as the woman thought about it with a look over of the Zora before she gasped with a idea. "That old coot reminded me, though..." She started as she directed her voice to the grieving girl. "I've heard of a shaman in Kakariko Village, in the Eldin lands, who's tended Gorons and Zoras." Ilia perked up as she exclaimed, getting back up.

"Is that true? Perhaps if we take him there..."

"Inadvisable! Too dangerous!" The pair turned to the collection of... five soldiers? Amok counted and there were now five, a young man with them who sported a halberd instead of a lance as another soldier spoke.

"But we can't turn a blind eye to a pretty girl in need, either."

"Yes, we'd better escort you! Am I right, boys?!" The young man shook his head as the rest just cheered for the chance as the woman spoke.

"Well, isn't that nice." She spoke to Ilia as she explained. "To reach Kakariko, we've got to cross two plains that are each infested by dangerous beasts." The cheer slipped away to fear as the woman continued. "But we'll be safe now!" She looked back over to the stoutly guard and young man to which the guard looked, yelped, and rushed out in follow of the others as the young man spoke.

"I am so sorry, Ma'am, the guys are not brave enough to handle fields of monsters, we barely even have the guts to face a simple boar." The young man huffed in apology as the woman just frowned before she yelled at the retreating dwarf, not involving the young man at the bar.

"Cowards! Don't EVER show your faces here again!"

"Definitely a Gerudo or something..." Amok mused as he recalled a race of female desert-dwellers that had quite the temper about useless men, their race only female and quite adept at it as the woman gasped.

"Oh my!" She took in the pair at the door that had just seen the departure of several spineless soldiers and remarked. "Looks like we've got one young swordsman left and his friend, his attire that of some magic skill, coupled with our last soldier boy." Link was speechless as Ilia still showed no sigh of replying as the woman continued. "And not only that, but it looks like these brave young man will escort us, so get ready to go, honey. Pronto!" Ilia nodded as she headed to the back with the soldier boy nodding as he looked to be readying as well as the woman turned her attention to the still-agape Link with a smile. "You know that girl, don't you both?"

"Yes, we do, Ma'am..." Amok spoke. "What's the matter with her?"

"It's a real shame... She can't even remember her own name right now." She turned to the resting Zora. "Bless her heart..." She stepped over as she spoke some more. "She found this poor boy collapsed in the road, so she did all she could to save him. More courage in that girl than in all of the soldiers of Hyrule, for sure!" She stepped back over to them as she finished. "You lend your strength to her, you hear me?" Link nodded as the woman went about to tell the soldier boy what to grab for the trip, as well as helping Ilia with her things in the bar. Link and Amok headed out to clear the way and see what was going to need to be done, killing the Bulbins and looking over to the Great Hylian Bridge before Link gasped.

"Th-That's...!" Amok looked from the same point of broken wall and frowned, patrolling the bridge was an old foe, but it was impossible, they killed that husky beast of a Bulbin by knocking him into the ravine below the Bridge of Eldin. "But how, we killed that thing!"

"You did..." Amok pointed out as he turned back. "But it looks like he's back and, from the state of things, he is guarding the only bridge to and from the Province of Lanayru and Eldin." Amok pushed off as he grimaced. "Plus, the Eldin Bridge is destroyed for the most part, so the Great Hylian Bridge is our only way to go in the escort."

"So you say the bridge to the east has been destroyed, huh?" The woman joined them with Ilia behind her as they looked from the same broken mason that must have been a theater at one point. "Then our only option is to cross the bridge to the west." The thing patrolled as the distant people mused, even Link as the woman spoke. "You see what that means?"

"I know..." Link hummed as the woman spoke.

"You'll have to deal with that thing!"

"Trust me, Ma'am..." Amok spoke as the soldier was ready on the wagon-driven wagon, his weapon ready for action just in case. "I put my faith in my friend's abilities, he has that battle covered." Link nodded as they headed up and mounted up, Amok on the back of the wagon as Link mounted up on Epona, checking himself over before Ilia spoke.

"Th-Thank you so much for this." Link turned to her as she continued. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, what's your name?" Link paused before he said it.

"I'm Link and my friend is Amok." A look of recognizance crossed Ilia's face as she mused.

"...Link?!" But the look slipped away as she praised him. "I will never in all my life forget your kindness, Link." Link deflated at her still apparent lack of memory as the woman spoke, sitting beside the soldier.

"Little lady, I think you'd best save your thanks until we're safe in Kakariko..." Link huffed as he turned his gaze to the woman as she spoke. "This swordsman of ours has great eyes, honey. They're proud and wild... like a feral beast." She glanced back and continued to remark. "We need a beast right now, to keep the true ones at bay. If we make it to Kakariko safety, we'll just thank them then, OK?" She blew a kiss and gave a wink to Link's shock before he replied.

"I am here to protect you with the other two, that's my job right now." Link focused ahead as he spoke. "Let's ride!" The soldier nodded as he motioned the horse to go, Link taking off to the bridge, finding that they were expected as the thing waved two shields that were fastened to its arms, meaning that attacking with the sword was out of the question... but not a bow as the woman spoke.

"OK, it's your turn, honey! We're counting on you!"

"On it!" Link rode ahead and pulled free an arrow as he spoke. "It's time to face some more trouble." Epona ushered ahead as Link fired, the thing staggering, but it didn't go down in the first pass and Link scowled as Epona whined and they rode toward the thing again before Link shouted. "Take this!" A second arrow scored and the thing staggered before it howling falling to the waters of Hylia, it's belt losing a pair of keys that Link snatched as the woman remarked about his skill before guiding them on, the valley through being occupied by Bulbins that fired arrows at them, but Amok protected the wagon with ease as Link sniped a few off their perches before they arrived to a gate and Link jumped off just to unlock it and pushed the gate open before the wagon headed off with Link in following before he shouted. "We got company!"

From the distance of Faron Field charged more Bulbins on their bull mounts, all armed with fire arrows as they made to saddle the wagon and Amok huffed as he blasted one pair off the mount and a club-wielding grunt suddenly found a blade through it's torso as the soldier one-handed the pole arm and grunted as he pulled hard, slamming the riders off and keeping his eyes forward before he yelled. "Kargarok!" A Kargarok made to attack with a bomb in its talons, but Link sniped the bomb, killing the creature as they continued on. They pushed through the narrow way and to the way of Kakariko as another Kargarok, the soldier unable to yell as the bird monster hurled the bomb, Amok pushing the weapon back and killing the monster as Link unlocked the last gate and headed in, Renado coming out of his chapel as he spoke.

"Link? Amok? What is...?"

"We have little time, can you treat this child?" The shaman looked in and his eyes widened to the Zora as he motioned them into the village.

"Quickly, into the inn!"


	10. Chapter X - 10

Colin, Link, and Amok waited outside the top room as it was the only one they had managed to clear out with good reason if the monsters came back as Renado stepped out, the trio looking to him as he breathed in relief. "...He has passed through the worst of it. As long as he rests, he should recover in due time." Colin took on a face of relief as Link smiled before Renado asked a pressing question. "Do you know the fate of his mother?" Link looked to the man as he continued to explain. "Her welfare consumes him. He has been mumbling deliriously about her almost constantly..." Link looked down as Amok brought a hand under the mask and sighed, that of grief and Renado left it as that, a sign that she... passed on. "...I can see the knowledge grieves you both. It must be an awful memory." Colin was next as he spoke up to Renado.

"I'll stay with him until he's better! No matter how long it takes!" Renado nodded as he kneel and spoke with a hand on Colin's shoulder.

"Is that so? Thank you, Colin." Before that, however, the pair headed off to the outside where night lingered over all of them as Colin spoke up, having followed them out with doubt in his heart.

"Hey, Link and Amok, about Ilia..." Link turned with a sorrowful look on his face to the question as Amok hummed in silence to the same notion. "Is it true, what they say about her?"

Renado chimed in as he joined them outside. "Yes, she has lost her memory, Colin, and regaining it will be no simple task. But it will be all right, child." The shaman explained, their womanly escort leaning on the railing as she listened as well. "If we just give her some time, I am certain that Ilia will find her heart again. So, Colin, I'd like to ask you to stay in this village until then. It is our turn to show the courage that you have already displayed." Colin lightened up as he bolted back inside and Renado bowed to the pair before heading toward the spring, their hostess speaking up with joy in her voice.

"Nice to see there's still hope here. And it's always good to see happy results repay your efforts..." She cleared her throat as she continued, drawing both of their attention. "Those skills of yours... Any chance you're of the mind to put them to use for Hyrule?"

"How so?" Amok asked as the woman continued to explain.

"What hope there is in our kingdom is frail and dying... but there's still a group trying to do what it can." She smirked as she finished that thought. "And I'm a member of that group." She pushed off and walked over to them before extending a hand. "Call me Telma." So the owner of the bar in Castle Town was someone trying to save Hyrule as Link shook her hand first and then Amok as she spoke some more, heading back over to the railing. "I may just stay here a bit longer. I'm still worried about Ilia, and..." She smiled as she glanced down the way to Renado, clearly having eyes for him. "Well, never mind about the rest." Link was just agape to her thought, trying to keep focused as Telma continued her lecture or rant. "Link and Amok, I want to see you both again at my bar, you hear me?"

"So forward, anything special about it, other than being the only bar in Hyrule?" Amok asked as Telma did give a reason.

"The bar is actually a kind of safe house for my friends. There's a passageway that leads to the castle from in there, as well." That was a valuable piece of information as Telma pushed off again and skipped past them before pausing and smiling to them. "If you ever need something, stop by, I'll be waiting for you, honeys!" She blew a kiss to the confusion of both as she took to Renado's side, the priest and the barkeep, that was a bond NOT to remain as Link made to go back inside before Amok doubled checked and gasped.

"Link..." He paused and turned, surprised too as the spirit of Rutela hovered in the air before gliding away, the duo following her into the graveyard as Link yelled.

"Wait!" They made through the graves before the former queen slipped through stone and the stone emboldened with what could have been the Zora's Sapphire faded away and they crept through the hollow hole in the earth before arriving to a spring, on the other side being a grave of some regal and the Queen as she hovered by it and Link made for the other side while Amok floated over as she spoke.

"I am deeply grateful to you both for aiding my son in his time of need. You were right to bring him here. Kakariko Village is a sacred place for the Zora people. It is where we take our eternal rest. My husband in life, King Zora, also rests his spirit here." She looked to them as she continued in her spiritual verse. "It is no coincidence my son found his salvation in this place."

"But why here, Rutela?" Amok asked as she gestured and the tombstone slid back to reveal a set of armor, adorned in Zora scales and design.

"...That which I have promised you is within this grave. During his lifetime, my husband created garments specifically for the chosen hero, garments that house the abilities of the Zora." Link walked up and plucked the attire from the tomb, Amok taking a look at it himself as he could fashion a barrier or something that would allow him to follow Link under the deepest of waters. Rutela breathed in peace as she spoke with minor remorse. "Now, at last, I can join the king in slumber. And yet... My son... He still knows nothing of my death." She rested a hand to her chest as she started to fade. "If you see him again, please pass on this message... Tell him he must not grieve his mother's passing. Tell him she wanted him to be brave and live as the king of our people. And... Tell him his mother... loves him without end. Tell him..." With that, she faded away and Link looked at the garment once more before Midna made her appearance again.

"Well, it's a good thing you found all of your friends and picked up that nifty Zora armor..." She rolled her wrist as she spoke. "But aren't you both forgetting something kind of important? That last Fused Shadow..."

"You remind us daily, Midna." Link answered as he crossed his arms, having stashed the garment in Amok's ability to store all of their wares.

"Remember what Faron the light spirit said... He said you would need the Fused Shadows to defeat the dark overlord Zant and save the world..." She floated close as she tapped Link's nose, still shadowed, but still getting the point. "So even if you go back now with all of the people you saved... The whole tragedy would just repeat itself..." She rolled backwards as she ranted. "So let's go get it! We need to go to the temple on the lake bed of Lake Hylia." She slipped back into the shadow as Link shook his head.

"You would think that she is just doing this out of spite..."

"Let's not hold against her, she has her agenda and we have our mission." Amok started as he continued in thought. "Still, how are we going to get into the temple, if it is blocked, then we need something strong to blast it open, I could do it myself, but I am not sure enough to make that difference." So the question was, where were they going to get explosives that would work underwater...?

* * *

Their fortune actually held as Barnes was now selling said bombs and they stocked up before heading back to Lake Hylia, embarrassing as they flew on down by Cuccos and then donned the garments and magical shield, the entrance sealed because of the surge of monsters on the other side, but the pair were not turned away as they dove into the Temple and came back up into a hollow series of chambers, water barely flooding the area.

Link and Amok made their way through, battling monsters that sought to stop them, even facing off with a Deku Toad which was weird, but their efforts were rewarded with a Clawshot which would help Link get around the temple and pull off the metal shield of those bothersome rams or something, a better use being the number of switches they needed to pull in order to go further.

Link made a passing commented that something was not adding up and it didn't take long for either of them to realize that they needed to divert a large amount of the water flow into the central room, grabbing the Boss Key through a serious trick of motion and position, before returning to the room and dropping to the base to find a door there and unlocking it to a hole, one that they dropped into and sunk down as Link questioned through the mask. "What the...?"

Down below, no light glowed through the chamber with what brief light flooding into their entrance, but down below was layers and layers of sand residing below with a sole tentacle emerging from the sand in the sand, something was there and they dropped down mere feet form it before something traveled up the semi-transparent limb, an eye that narrowed at their presence before diving under the sand and bringing up something worse. "This can't be good." Amok spoke as more of the voltaic limbs emerged before a hided hide and abnormal jaw emerged from the sand of their foe of the Twilt Aquatic, Morpheel. They targeted the eye, pulling it out before striking it a few times before the eye returned and the thing dove under the sand before it emerged in its full glory, surging through the water freely in a far greater size than Diababa and Fyrus could even muster together. "Link! The eye!" Mounted in the back was the eye that stared at them, so they took to swimming quickly to get to the side or above and grappling on to the beast before striking the immobile eye to kill the monster.

After a few rounds and near-close shaves from the beast's consuming maw, they thing went into a frenzy and crashed into the wall, cracking it open and draining it out of all the chamber's water, without that, the eye exploded into a Heart Container and the whole length erupting into Twilight before collecting into the last Fused Shadow, overkill for such a tool, like the Twilt Bloat was as Midna appeared again. "There it is! The last Fused Shadow..." She snatched it off of Link's hands as Amok walked over after picking up the Container. "I'll just take that, thanks!" She paused as she explained, did she indeed feel sympathy for them. "Now, don't resent me for all I've put you through. I NEED this thing!" Link and Amok looked at each other as Midna continued. "Besides, we have to do something about Zant, the one who thinks he is the king of shadows... His power is a false one... I'll prove it using these!" The piece disappeared into the hair as she turned to a decent spot to make a portal out. "So... I've done everything I needed to. I'm sorry for dragging you both all over the place with me..." She floated over before creating the portal and turning to them. "So... Shall we go?" She floated in and started to motion for them to come as Link spoke.

"So... this is it... no more Midna bothering us after this."

"Don't tell me that you have developed a bond with the little imp?" Amok asked as Link looked at him and asked.

"Don't you feel the same...?"

"We should be happy for her." Amok clapped his shoulder and moved toward her. "She wouldn't want us to be sad for her leaving, we should be happy that she is finally able to fight a battle that she was at a disadvantage at." Link did not fight that as both entered the portal and they headed out...

* * *

They returned to the Spring and Link huffed before he turned to leave, stumbling back in surprise as some individual stood there, masked with a fish helmet with garbs of the same pattern as the twilight creatures and even the monsters that protected the Fused Shadows. Amok bracing himself as the light spirit surged out, primed to fight the figure, but the figure blasted a shock wave, blasting all on their backs, but bashing the spirit into the earthen roots and, with powers stronger than the unprotected light, he forced the light under, submerging the world in twilight again, Link and Amok converting back to their twilight forms with Amok changing again into a robed figure with an actual bird-like face as he laid on the right path while Link and Midna were on the center, the figure silent, but not to Midna as she scoffed. "Zant!"

She was lifted into the air and hung there as Zant walked toward the edge and the Fused Shadows, emerging to Midna's horror, soared over to the 'King of Shadows' despite Midna's struggle as the figure scoffed at the power before him. "Did you honestly meant to take an ancient and withered power like this and turn it against me?" The pieces disappeared into Zant's possession as he continued. "You are a foolish traitor, Midna. Why do you defy your king?"

"My KING?" Midna screeched as she tried to struggle out of the invisible vice grip. "You, who do nothing but abuse the magic of your tribe? You must be joking!"

"How dare you!?" Zant took offense to the statement. "Are you implying that my power is... our old magic?" The grip shifted as Midna was pulled close as he exclaimed. "Now THAT is a joke!" The grip raised her before slamming her into the ground, a wince calling out from her frame as Zant turned, power gathering before him as Midna weakly tried to get up. "This power is granted to me by my god! It is the magic of the King of Twilight, and you WILL respect it!" Link stirred and, recognizing the threat, jumped for Zant, the magic stopping him short as Amok also made to strike before both was tossed back, a shard pulsing into Link's forehead and another seeping into Amok's hand.

Midna tried to rouse Link before she was grabbed again and held close to Zant. "My Midna... Did you forget? Those beasts are some of the light dwellers who oppressed our people." Midna held a look of horrified pain in her eyes as Zane just lectured. "No matter how much you may desire otherwise, you will never be more than a shadow in their world. You cannot consort with their kind!" Zant paused before continuing. "But if we make their world ours, Midna... light and darkness will meet at last. Our tribe will take back their realm... and sweet darkness will blot out this harsh light!"

"And that, Midna, is why..." The face plate folded in before receding up and a jaw of fang and rasp drew closer to the imp. "I need you. Not just for me, but for all of our people... Lend me your power."

"Don't... do it..." Amok spoke as he looked up, blue eyes gazing back in the twilight. "What is the promise... of a false king... to the one who is cursed... You hold no weight here..." Amok shifted to stand. "If you... did not curse her such... then she would not have sought out power to overthrow... you, false king." Zant hissed as he spoke, Midna getting free to aid Link, for but a moment.

"So be it... I will return you to the light world you covet!" Amok stumbled as Midna was hauled up and Zant forced the Light Spirit up, forcing Midna to bare the full power of light on her body as she screamed like her life was dying out before she vanished and the king turned to find both the wolf and talking bird were gone as well, curious how they managed to escape...

* * *

On the outskirts of Lanayru Province; Link, Amok, and Midna appeared in a orb of light and descended to the ground before Link shook himself awake, exclaiming to his form. "Wait... I'm a wolf again... But in the light of night!?" Heavy breathing got his attention and he turned to see what shocked him in horror.

Midna, inverted with bluish mass of hair, laid on his back and he could feel that she was dying as Amok got up, taking in his own appearance with a remorseful sigh before the Light Spirit that aided them to escape spoke to both of them. "Link and Amok, hero chosen by the goddesses by scribe's hand..." Their eyes followed into the night and to the shadow of the castle in the distance. "Go to the princess locked away in the castle. That princess holds the key that can unlock you from your shadow forms..." With that, the voice faded into the night as Link turned to Amok as the now-semi bird creature raised his feathery hands to Midna and seemed to focusing with a glow in them before he asked.

"Amok...?" He flinched when his friend cawed in anger as the glow disappeared with a sweep.

"No good... her body was exposed to too harsh of light, my magic is not going to cut it here." Before they could speak once more, Midna lightly gripped as she pleaded.

"Link... Amok... H-Hurry... Hurry... t-to Zelda..." Link nodded as they headed down the way, Bulbins barring the minor way as she started... to hum, likely to slip away from the intense pain. "L-Lingering in the... last light... of dusk." Amok paused for a moment as he heard that melody before, from his own father of the realm beyond Hyrule, a song meant to instill bravery and courage in the souls of those sent through the veil. "Lies within... the shadows... of trust..." She hummed once more as she tried once more to alleviate her pain. "I... can't hold onto... what I have lost..." She made to sing once more before Amok found himself soothing her mind as well as his voice, though changed, sung back.

"Casting shadows into the light..." Midna glanced to him and it seem like she was thankful for the voice as Amok continued. "Hiding in the darkness of night..." He hummed loudly in tone as he continued. "Carry me through the fight... bathed in twilight." They soon entered the town the they sped through the panicked masses before they quickly arrived to the Bar, Amok coming to a halt as Link tried to Telma's voice shouting.

"Beast! Get out!" Without warning, Link was kicked out by a Goron's hand and he growled before Amok shook his head as the rain started to come.

"We are changed here, my friend, we must find another way." Link nodded, lucky that he didn't lose Midna in the toss as they made to get away and find some other way into the castle before a elegant voice spoke up.

"You there!" Both paused as they looked up to the window up high to see it open and a white cat jumped out and turned its gaze to them as she inquired. "You are Link and Amok, correct?"

"And you are Telma's cat, we didn't get your name when we left." The cat nodded to Amok's speech and strolled to their side as she continued to speak.

"I'm Louise. Though I don't think we were properly introduced..." Both nodded before Louise asked. "In any case, I must tell you both, I'm a bit puzzled as to why you both look like those." She chuckled a bit as she continued. "Really, dearies, you can't blame the humans for tossing you out, the way you look." Finally, she spotted the dying Midna as she mused. "Oh... Another patient? You certainly are a curious sort..." Midna was able to speak as she begged.

"...Plea... Please... Princess... Z-Zelda..." Louise glanced down before back up as she turned and strolled over to the crates of recent stock as she spoke to them.

"This way!" Both glanced to the open window and Louise explained. "Here, get in through the window. The attic is connected to the castle's waterway. It's an old waterway, though... so it could be a rough trip." Amok addressed the question of what the cat would be doing.

"But what will you do now, Louise?"

"Well... I suppose all that's left to do is make sure that the humans don't notice you." She strolled over and sat in the archway before Link pushed the spare crate into place and scaled into the bar, Amok behind him as they hid high up in the rafters, listening to Telma's musing of courage that the Gorons had in plenty compared to the soldiers, except the young soldier who just lingered at the counter and conversed with her as the pair listened to a conversation of three people about them and how they escorted Telma and Illa to Kakariko Village, thought Amok had to keep Link's jaw shut when the one with glasses made a notion that anyone not from the city do not know fear as they slipped into the next place.

The strange place was not so out of place as a creepy place, but they didn't waste time debating it as they dealt with the Poe that was lingering in there and conversed with the frozen statue of a greedy man, who was done in like that for greed and somehow controlled the wealth to move as the chest there opened and lead straight into the waterway.

They entered the humid place and continued on down before they found... some large problems, Link growling as the Skulltulas closed in before Amok spoke. "Let me..." The power formed in his hands before he spoke... in a foreign tongue. "Sed vade, et ignis praesule!" Suddenly, the space between them and the spiders erupted in flames and a figure formed with a haunting chuckle as the spiders hissed before the thing lanced forward its two needle-like arms and a torrent of flames surged through them and the web, it disappearing as Amok breathed, shaking his head as he spoke. "Whoa... that was a trip..." Link didn't question it as they pressed on, the brief moments of fire from Amok rendering the stick alight with fire a bit redundant.

Sadly, the way was being guarded by more Bulbins as they continued on, the wizard creature turning into his hawk form and gripping tight as Link dug down and got them into a familiar part of the castle as they headed up, the wizard creature back to sling spells at the attacking foes as Midna whispered in plead. "H-Hurry... to... Zelda..."

"Don't worry, we are getting to Zelda, I promise!" Link howled as they quickly made it out into the downpour and confronted the monstrous Kangaroks before Amok showed them what for as they kept on the path before making it to the roof of the castle proper and into the tower as they ascended up to the room and found... nothing, Link peering about before a thud was heard and the pair turned to Amok's exclaim.

"Midna!" She had toppled over to the floor as Amok made to bend down and pick her up for safety , but another was there as they looked up to the hooded visage of Zelda, she being behind the door and have closed it for their privacy quietly, a sense of unease over all of them before Midna made the first move, sluggishly raising her hand for Zelda to hold it, small like a child's as she pleaded.

"Please... Please tell me... How do we break... the curse on these ones?" Both glanced down to Midna as she continued to voice her input. "These... are the ones... You need them... to save your world!" She started to pander out as she finished. "That's why... Princess... Please... You must help Link and Amok..." Zelda peered up and raised a hand to Link, hovering it before gripping it with a look of focus and concern as she spoke.

"What binds them is a different magic than what transformed them when they first passed the curtain of twilight. It is an evil power." She opened her eyes and spoke to the pair of them as she explained. "Our world is one of balance... Just as there is light to drive away darkness, so, too, is there benevolence to banish evil."

"Benevolence...?" Amok inquired as Zelda glanced to him before back to focus on the pair as she spoke in direction.

"Head for the sacred grove that lies deep within the lands guarded by the spirit Faron. There you will find the blade of evil's bane that was crafted by the wisdom of the ancient sages... the Master Sword. The Master Sword is a sacred blade that evil can never touch."

"But why the blade, Princess?" Amok asked as Zelda just shook her head as she just answered with a fact of what has affected them.

"Evil cloaks you both like a dark veil... and that blade is the only thing that can cleave it." Midna's breathing started to get more sluggish and she looked ready to drop soon as Zelda spoke as all attention went to her. "Link... Hero sent by the goddesses... and Amok, Scribe of the Hero's fate..." She lifted her hand again as she showed... a trio of triangles on the back of her hand as it glowed to them, the same pattern that was marked on Link's own paw. "Like you, Link, I have been granted special powers by the goddesses... But we are also observed and kept known by the Scribe whose bloodline was blessed beside our own..." Before more could be said, Midna rasped.

"Fine... Link... Amok... You can... You can get to the woods... on your own, right?"

"Midna..." Amok voiced as Midna made one final inquiry.

"Princess... I have one last request..." Zelda looked down as well as Midna ushered it. "Can you tell them... where to find the Mirror of Twilight?" A soft gasp slipped from the Princess of Hyrule's lips and Amok tilted his head to the Princess as he asked.

"Zelda...?" But the Princess spoke to Midna in recognizance.

"Midna... I believe I understand now just who and what you are..." She gripped tighter to the small form as she spoke. "Despite your mortal injures, you act in our stead..." She continued and Amok felt... something bubbling under the surface, something ancient... powerful. "These dark times are the result of our deeds, yet it is you who have reaped the penalty." Before Amok could voice other wise, Zelda finished as the power surged. "Accept this now, Midna. I pass it to you..." She glowed as Amok shielded his vision from the bright glow as it enveloped Midna and her breathing became more regular before frantic as she yelped.

"No! NO! Link! Amok! STOP HER!" But Zelda just gave a sad smile as Midna called out. "Zelda, NO!" The small hand slipped from the Princess's own grasp and faded like the glow as Midna floated back down, back to her full form as the trio took in the place where Zelda was, no cloak to flutter to the ground, no glove to mark it, she was truly gone like a wraith to the winds. Midna felt... grief before she huffed.

"We go back, guys!" She peered forward as she spoke with confidence. "Back to Faron Woods!" She back-flipped onto Link's back as Amok followed a short distance before Link stopped for Midna to leave some parting words as she extended her other hand to the spot. "Zelda... I've taken all that you had to give... though I did not want it." They headed outside and Midna warped them away, to avoid any conflict with the town...

* * *

They reformed in front of the bridge they took to the castle and made to move away before a sudden spike erupted and they turned to Amok's exclaim.

"The Castle!"

"What the!?" A large diamond dome consumed Hyrule Castle, cutting it off from the town as Midna exclaimed. "What is that!?" They just peered at the dome before Amok spoke again.

"Do you think...?"

"Zant...!" Midna growled with Link before she released the hand, peering at it before she look downtrodden, Amok hovering over as he rested a hand on her shoulder.

"We will make this right, Zelda did not leave this mission to us, just to see us fail. Zant will fall, a false king always will..." He released and looked to the dome as he spoke. "But an evil power... if our entrance into the Twilight is not the curse that now holds me and Link in these forms... Then it is clear that Zant is getting help from someone, a patron in the very least." He rested a hand to his feathered wrist before dropping them both. "We should go... there's no telling who could have spotted us so far..." Midna nodded and channeled the portals to work, their direction Faron Woods which landed them in the northern section of the forest...


	11. Chapter XI - 11

They soon arrived to the area and made to head toward the Temple, hoping it had an answer to their question before they heard a screech, a monkey screech and whipped to find the female monkey leaping away from a unknown part of the forest and running for it before her pursuers arrived, wooden puppets that were somehow alive as Amok shouted. "Hey!" The puppets turned their attention to the trio that arrived as Amok spoke with fire in hand. "If you know what's good for you, you will run."

They didn't pay heed to that as they charged at them, but a few bites and fireballs destroyed the puppets as the monkey came out of her panic and spoke to them. "Did... Did you save me?" They nodded as the monkey replied. "Th-Thank you!" She then gestured to the path that she just came from. "Listen, since you're so nice, let me tell you something: there's a really pretty wooded area on the other side of this cliff! I climbed over there, but when I tried to get deeper into the woods, THOSE guys attacked me!" She glanced to them as she questioned. "What's in those woods, anyway?"

"That's what we are going to find out now, let's go, you two."

"Amok, let's just see what's on the other side." Midna answered as they did so with Amok flying over and Link following Midna with jumps, the winds turning platforms and logs swinging, but they stopped at another one of the Howling Stones and Amok, as if on instinct, lashed out his left claw to holding some form of musical tool, and it was like the winds came to answer the call as Link howled to the melody given, that of embodying the light and what it held in their world before both dozed off and met the wolf again, this time his location at the southern side of Hyrule Castle before they were brought back with Midna speaking. "Hey, you guys okay?"

"Other than a golden wolf spot, we're good." She nodded as it always seemed that when they answered the Stone's Call, they also knew where to find the golden wolf, learning a new ability to fight with. Amok looked forward and lead the path before they entered the woods, it was... strange as Link spoke.

"I... feel like I've been here before...?"

"Strange... me too, but I don't recall..." Amok answered as they looked at each other before Link spotted a stone and approached it to silence, but he howled just the same before Amok answered in slight surprise. "Wait, that was..." Anymore was lost when a straw-like child dropped from the tree in the center and blew his horn, summoning more of the dolls that had attacked the monkey before making his get-away into the forest as it opened it him before Amok called out. "After that Skull Kid!" Link went on the hunt as they pursued the Skull Kid, as Amok had called it out to be, and cornered it before it got away, chuckling as it called out for more fun for later. The next area opened and the trio headed further in before they arrived to a... ancient grove as Midna pondered.

"What is this place...?" Link didn't answer as he started to move toward another spot as Amok noticed and nearly exclaimed.

"Link, don't...!" But he howled the song once more and Amok took flight as the ground disappeared to an abyss below and tiles extending out before the statues came to life and stood a tile away from Link before the one in front spoke.

"We are guardians of this land... Guide us to where we once stood. Only then can you enter the true Sacred Grove..." Amok looked and spoke as he floated high, high enough that he didn't count for the operation, but was still bound to the puzzle as he spoke, but what came out was not right as he spoke in rhyme.

"To the Province of Lanaryu, you must tread, down to Faron you must keep, by Eldin's grace twice over, you approach Lanaryu once more. Yet falter not for Lanaryu is where you must go before going upriver twice a time before heading to the ices of Lanaryu, you drop down to Ordona, and head toward Eldin to the last place of the start."

"What the what, speak clearly, we can't understand you here."

"I think it's the puzzle." Link spoke to Midna and he was sure that she did hear him loud and clear. "It must have bound Amok to speak in a puzzling fashion, but I think I know what he is asking." With that, Link turned, the statue behind following his movement while the one in front were reversed. "Good thing I know how a compass works, from here I go west, head down south, go east twice, jump north and take a western path, jump two north, and cut west. South twice before going east and back to north." The statues followed the direction before they spun in place and saluted with staffs, the door opening to the completed puzzle.

"Go now to the sacred place, beast... We yield passage to the Sacred Grove..." With that, the statue's light faded as the ground returned, Amok coming down before he exclaimed.

"I am never doing that again." Both laughed at his misery before heading in, a fog shrouding a blade embedded in a stone before they approached and the sword glowed before it unleashed a shock wave, knocking them back, but Link was determined as he barked to the weapon and his figure turned black before a radiant light shined and Midna... caught a piece of something, glancing at it before she looked up with a gasp as Link took the sword, hands on its hilt before pulling it free, lifting it high as the fog was blown away and Midna gasped to the change.

"The sword accepted you as its master..." Link hummed before he swung it and commented.

"It's... like it was made for my hands in the first place." He straightened up as Midna appeared in front of him with Amok, still in his bird form, as she opened her hand to the fragment that she had collected, the sword somehow also granting Link a suitable scabbard to hold it in.

"This thing is a fragment of the embodiment of the evil magic that Zant cast on the both of you." They looked at it, its orange-ish glow strange to see from Midna's own teal markings and the shadow beast's deep red as she peered at it a bit closer. "It's definitely different from our tribe's shadow magic..." She went into warning as she spoke. "Careful, Link... If you touch it, you'll turn back into a beast!" She closed her hand shut as she warned on the side of caution. "This thing is too dangerous... It's probably for the best if we just leave it here, huh?" She paused before she started to think about it. "But on the other hand...if we kept it, you'd be able to transform into a beast anytime you wanted..." Both saw the light glint with interest as Midna continued with a smirk. "Yes, since Zant was kind enough to give this to us, we should be thankful and use it all we can!"

"I feel less than okay with this plan..." Amok just shrugged to the plan as he listened to Midna continue.

"If you need it, just call me. I want to keep a low profile, so I'll hide in your shadow when you're human, but I can change you whenever. You can be a wolf anytime you like! Also, thanks to this thing, you can warp whenever you want by switching into wolf form..." She then floated over in leaning on Link's shoulder as she inquired. "Hey, but listen, Link... Amok... I've got a little favor to ask..."

"What is it, Midna?" She glanced to the young hero as she inquired.

"Would you mind coming with me to find something called the Mirror of Twilight? It's hidden somewhere in Hyrule..."

"The Mirror of Twilight?"

"Yes, the Mirror of Twilight... Our last potential link to Zant!" Both knew that whatever allowed Zant into their world was a problem, but also a key as Link nodded and Midna floated away shyly before slipping into Link's shadow.

"Well, now that we found the sword..." Amok gestured to himself before he continued. "I am still kind of a bird here."

"Oh, right, don't know why the Master Sword didn't revert you back with me." Both nodded as Amok knelt before Link and the young hero breathed before he spoke with resting the blade on the creature's shoulders.

"Great Scribe, you have stood with me through these dark times, now walk beside me in the light..." The effect was apparent as Amok reverted back, the fragment being grabbed and it fusing with the fragment to make it whole before he got up and look around, now looking like a false image of his final twilight form.

"Now I can see what the shift has caused." He took a glance at himself before he exclaimed. "Just look at me, I'm a bird brain! The next thing you will be hearing is me sqwarking." Both couldn't hold it in before they laughed at Amok's misery as he removed the mask for a brief moment. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, you darn human and imp, I am sure to enjoy your misery when I find it."

"Now, now, let's not get ahead of ourselves." Link stopped laughing before he spoke. "But that makes it harder on us, we need to find out where this Mirror of Twilight is so we can stop Zant for good, but where can we find out where to go...?" The trio started to think before Midna snapped.

"That's it!" Both reverted humans looked to her as she spoke. "We know a group of people, Telma said that her bar was a safe haven for those looking to save Hyrule, maybe one of them could help us!"

"So, we need to head for Castle Town." Amok groaned as he rubbed his face. "I am going to miss this face, now it's going back to being a bird."

"Relax, I'll warp us and revert you back when we get there, simple!" Neither argued as both transformed by the power of Twilight before they warped away and were then teleported to the front of Castle Town...

* * *

Getting a letter was one thing that reminded them of the bar, they took a detour to face the golden wolf as both breathed. "This should be interesting to see." Both nodded as they approached the wolf and it leapt at them, taking them across to the domain with the training will be done...

Link came to as the white surrounded him once more before the golden wolf howled and was replaced with the undead knight as he spoke. "We meet again." The knight spoke as... for a flicker, Link could see something else, the face of a young man scarred and donning an eye-patch before it reverted back to the bones. "This next is the greatest of the hidden skills I have taught you to this point, and it may test the limits of your endurance... Do you still wish to master it?"

"I am..." Link was drilled through the third skill of the back slash first before the knight spoke again.

"Very well. My fourth hidden skill is... The helm splitter! Let it be hewn into your mind!" With this, Link drew his blade and shield as he was drilled through the skill, to first offset his foe with a shield bash before leaping overhead with a slash down, getting behind and leaving them vulnerable as he could then strike from behind and he repeated the action on the knight as he praised Link's skill. "Hmm. Impressive. The fourth skill, the helm splitter, has been passed on." He stanced with sword down as he continued. "There are still three hidden skills for you to learn. Do not neglect your daily sword training between now and the time you come to learn the next skill! May we meet again." Link nodded as he moved to leave before he stopped and turned, the skeleton... was humming as he spoke.

"Excuse me, what are you humming...? Music?"

"Hmm... Indeed..." The knight spoke as he looked up and spoke. "A melody that I just recalled, strange how many years it has been since I last heard that tone, I played it upon an ocarina and I think of both the one who taught it to me and its meaning." For a moment, the eye changed to blue before back. "Why has that tone returned to me after so long, my quest..." He shook his head and Link didn't pry anymore as he faded away before the Knight spoke again. "I hear the voice within the light, I live with the song of the forest, I dance with the bellows of fire, now I swoon with the heart of water... Ruto, I had betrayed your heart, just as I betrayed the brother I gained and the friend I had. Though I give the next hero my gained lessons, I have forsaken all as I was without a duty..." The red closed as he hummed. "A man born to save, but lost his reason when the kingdom resolved itself and I sought out a lost friend... I never did find her..." He opened again and looked up. "Navi... you were not useless when you left... I still needed guidance and without you... I was a Hylian without that hope...

* * *

Amok landed, with grace, but his boots felt wet, like it was not snow beneath his feet, it was like water itself as something swam through it, but he withheld his power as he spoke. "I would hate to inquire, but after I encountered a man who was also an owl, a girl ageless from the woods, and a chieftain without sense of clothing, I have a feeling that you are of the Zoras, am I wrong?" A figure launched itself out of the water and landed behind him as he turned and took in the different features of the Zora, confident, poised, and ready without any armor as she smirked.

"It would seem that my husband has chosen well, shame that he has only now began to recover from his loss of purpose with four when it should have been two." She turned and he turned to her as she spoke. "I am Ruto, Princess of the Zoras, leader of them behind my father, and within the twisted world of the Thief's design, I am the Sage of Water."

"I am sorry to impose, Princess Ruto, but... husband...?"

"Oh, yes, I knew him when he arrived as a mere boy to obtain the Zora's Sapphire." She danced in the air with the water surrounding them. "It was cute how he only came to obtain the Sapphire after contending with the parasite that infected our guardian deity, but he proved himself a worthy man as, in Zora tradition, giving of the Zora's Sapphire also means the two of us were bound in marriage." Amok kept his mask on to hide the sweat drop, so the Hero of Time was a man with a commitment, but the happy mood fell as she pulled herself in. "But he returned it after all of it was done and left, mere days passing before he returned, but he was cold, hollow, I didn't know it back then, but he had lost his way and all I did was leave him alone, how naive I was..." She tilted her head to the side away. "I loved him, but I did nothing to mend his heart or give him purpose, I failed as a bride and wife." She turned back as the water swirled once more, this time empowering Amok as she spoke. "With this blessing, your power over water will be unsurpassed and the 'Scales of Water' will both protect you form danger and hide you in both the day and night, if one simply sneaks."

Amok didn't press it as he bowed to her with his increased magic and headed out, fading before Ruto started to hear a familiar tone, tears forming as she spoke with a smile. "He is returning, I can hear his song from the beyond..."

* * *

Both stirred and gathered themselves before heading for Telma's bar, she greeting them in surprise. "Oh my... if it isn't Link and Amok!"

"How have you been, Telma?" Link greeted back as Amok nodded, removing his mask as it was slightly scaring the folks around as she beamed back.

"You boys made it! How've you been, honeys?!" She breathed as she continued. "Mercy, but you have good timing. I was just talking about you!" She then turned to the table in the back. "Hey, everyone! Introduce yourselves!" They turned to look at them as she continued in introductions. "These handsome young men are the infamous Link and Amok!" They waved as Telma continued. "You remember what I told you before, honeys? These are those friends I mentioned, the ones who are trying to help deal with all the troubles in Hyrule."

"We know, you sent us a letter about them in the first place, Telma." The bartender hummed as she continued.

"Actually, there's one more of us... but there's been a disturbing turn of events in the western desert, so he's gone to check it out. He's an older man named Auru. If you both happen to meet him, definitely take the time to talk with him, OK, honeys?" She breathed again as she asked them to relax for a spell. "Well, you've come all the way here, honeys, so why don't you both relax a bit. Why don't you be sociable and talk to these folks? They're a jolly bunch!" Both looked at the other and nodded as they joined the band, speaking with Shad about his fascination with beings older than Hylians and whose presence littered the landscape, their names called the Oocca.

Though a bit silent, Ashei was a good soul whose father taught her everything about the arts of war, so she was not a proper knight of Hyrule, but she ruled nonetheless to the approval of the pair, one a country bumpkin from Ordon and a mage from the same, as she spoke of Snowpeak, a mountain to the north of Hyrule, likely close to the Zora's Domain, saying that evil controls it and they should leave it to her to find out more.

A real surprise was Rusl, garbed in a different attire from his village wear, as he was disappointed in his own inaction and wished to help, he gathering information as well, from what Amok could understand, it had everything to do with what was hidden in Faron Woods.

As for the last, Auru had set himself up in Lake Hylia to study the desert and that sounded like something they had to look into as they nodded and left the bar, warping to the Lake to see what they could find...


End file.
